Again
we have come to that time of year when we are thinking more and
more about God's unspeakable gift, Jesus Christ, Who was
incarnated (God in human flesh) so that He could rescue us from
the world, the flesh and the Devil.

The
Bible says: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish
but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the
world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might
be saved." (John 3:16-17)

Please
read and study the article below. It is very important
because it lays out the Scriptural truth of the Virgin Birth
and the Incarnation of Jesus Christ.

A
blessed Christmas to you my friends!

In
Jesus' Name,

Pastor
Max Solbrekken2
Corinthians 4:5; Hebrews 13:8

THE
INCARNATION:

ACID TEST OF TRUE FAITH

By
Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.

"In
the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word
was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were
made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made.
In Him was life and the life was the light of men.

“Which were born, not of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor the will
of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among
us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of
the Father, full of grace and truth."(John 1: 1- 4, 13, 14)

There is a serious
misunderstanding among many Bible scholars and preachers due to an
incorrect translation of John 3: 13, which says, “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, but of
God.” Most Bibles have us believing that this
Scripture text is referring to those who receive Christ, because
of the plural “which” when
in fact, the original Greek uses the singular “He” which refers to
Christ!

This passage must be taken in
context with the rest of the Scripture text about Jesus the Word
of God; not about believers. It is about JESUS OF NAZARETH – Not
about us! The Bible states: “He (Christ)was
in the world and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him
not. He came unto His own and His own received Him not.

This is the PROPER TRANSLATION:
“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become
the sons of God, even unto them that believe on His name. He
(Jesus) was born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor
of the will of man, but of God. And the WORD was made
flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld His glory, the glory as of
the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John
3: 14)

TERTULLIAN
SETSTHE RECORD STRAIGHT!

Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus(160-220 A.D.)
of Carthage Africa known as Tertullian, was an
early Christian author who was martyred for his faith. He stated: “The blood of the martyrs has become the seed of the church."

In his book, ‘The Incomparable Christ’ (1902) - which I have enjoyed for
decades - J. Oswald
Sanders brings out a truth that has eluded far too many
theologians and preachers for hundreds of years!

He states: “Samuel Zwemer commenting on John 3:14, writes: ‘Here those
who believe the Word are those ‘who were begotten, not of
bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of
God’.

‘But according to the express
testimony of TERTULLIAN there was an
early second-century reading of this text which had
the singular instead of plural. It would then
read, ‘He(Christ) was
begotten not of bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the
will of man, but of God.'

“In his de
Carne Christi Tertullian wrote; ‘I
shall make more use of this passage after I have confronted those
who have tampered with it. They maintain it was written in the
plural, as if designating those who before mentioned as believing
on His name.

‘But
how can this be when all who believe… are by virtue of the will
of the flesh and of the will of man? - as indeed as Valentinus
himself. The expression is in the singular, as referring to the
Lord. He was born of God … As flesh, however, He is not of
bloods, nor of the will of man, because it was by the will of God
that the Word was made flesh.'

“In his Confessions, ST.
AUGUSTINE quotes John 3:14 in the singular in reference
to Christ’s Virgin Birth, as follows: ‘Also
I found there that God the Word was born not of blood, nor of the
will of a husband, nor of the will of the flesh, but of God.”

St. Paul wrote under the
inspiration of the Blessed Holy Spirit thus: “But when the
fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of
a woman, made under
the law.” (Galatians 4:4)

Commenting on this verse, J.
Oswald Sanders writes: “In this chapter he uses the
word “born” three
times, but in speaking of Christ’s
birth he uses a different word (made) from
the implied when speaking of Ishmael and Isaac.”
(Galations 4: 23, 29)

CULTS
PREACH A DIMINISHED JESUS!

It is not surprising that Satan
tried to diminish the stature of Jesus Christ early on by
involving an Old-JW-New-Modernist tampering
with the Holy Scriptures. What does surprise me is that for
hundreds of years theologians have missed what is OBVIOUS, that
Jesus of Nazareth was not born of human blood or the will of
either Joseph or Mary but of GOD and by HIS will alone!

Every one of us were born by
the will of our fathers and mothers and carry our father’s blood
in our veins. To force
a Scripture text to mean something different than it was meant is
totally wrong! Let me repeat, by using this
Scripture text to prove that sinners are born again by the will of
God and not of man may sound good to naïve Christians, but that
is not what this Scripture says! This
is a foundational doctrine which refers to Jesus of Nazareth alone!

THE
ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD!

The Bible states: “For God so loved the world that He gave His ONLY
BEGOTTEN SONthat
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting
life.” (John 3:16)

Right from the very beginning,
SATAN has had his loyal humanistic minions on board, to pervert
the sacred Scriptures. They come in a variety of knowing and
unknowing fellow travellers, but his main goal is to weaken the
faith of believers and giving false cults the ammunition they
desire in gaining converts, through tampering with the Scriptures!

Hundreds of false cults have
arisen through that method of deception, among them the Jehovah’s
Witnesses, Mormons and Christian Scientists. Their main
deception is that Jesus of Nazareth was not truly God in the
flesh, that He is a lesser god, an arch angel or something else.

According to Holy Scripture,
those who REJECT the
Deity of Jesus Christ cannot and will not be saved, unless they
repent of that grievous SIN of unbelief and blasphemy:

“Hereby
ye know the Spirit of God: Every Spirit that confesses that Jesus
Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that
confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is NOT of
God: and this is that SPIRIT of ANTICHRIST, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it
in the world.” (1 John 4: 2, 3)

Presently, there are more than
seven billion people alive and we have all come in the flesh, born
naturally of a mother and father. Although childbirth is a
miraculous phenomenon that happens every second around the world,
Jesus of Nazareth was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the
Virgin Mary. He was
incarnated, God in human flesh!

IN
THE BOSOM OF THE FATHER!

All those who reject Jesus Christ as God the Son Who came to this earth to
save lost humanity by the Sacrifice of Himself and to meet the
demands of Divine Justice, will
not be saved. And all those who receive Him as the Christ the
King, their Saviour and Lord will be saved!

When
the Eternal Son of God was born of a human mother without the aid
of a human father that is the miracle of INCARNATION, meaning ‘God
in human flesh’.

Jesus Christ was True God and
True Man while He walked this earthly sod! The Word of God states: “No man hath seen God at any time; the ONLY BEGOTTEN SON,
which is in the BOSOM of the Father, He hath declared Him.” (John
1: 18) The Apostle John was a young man who had absolute faith in
Jesus of Nazareth. He was the closest to our Lord and is called
the “disciple whom
Jesus loved.” (John 20: 2; 21:20)

"Now there was leaning on
Jesus' BOSOM one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved." (John
13: 23). John understood the fact that Jesus had come from God and
is always in the"Bosom of the Father."

What that term means is, that
the relationship between Jesus of Nazareth and His Heavenly Father
had NOT been broken when He was incarnated to die as God's Pascal
Lamb for the sins of the world! He
was still in His Father and the Father was still in Him through
the Blessed Holy Spirit!

Dr.
Henry Morris writes: “In that wonderful O.T. prophecy about His
coming human birth in Bethlehem (Micah 5: 2) we are told that His ‘goings
forth from the bosom of the Father.'

“As
noted in John 1: 18, He
was still in the bosom of the Father” even while He was
on earth manifesting the Father. These truths are beyond our full
comprehension, of course, for they are all part of the great
mystery of the Triune God."

Concerning
Micah 5: 2, the Pulpit Commentator states: “Whose
goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting…The
Fathers see in it a declaration of the eternal generation of the
Son: He who was born in time at Bethlehem hath an eternal
existence…

“To Christians, who believe in the mystery of the Holy Trinity, the
plural would express the continual generation of the Son from the
Father from everlasting and to everlasting, never beginning and
never ending; as the Council of Lateran says,"Without beginning ever and without end, the Father begetting, the Son being
born (nascens),
and the Holy Ghost proceeding."

The bosom is where the heart is
and from which Love is generated. The BOSOM is a place of rest and
peace. The name of God, El
Shaddai has the meaning, "the
Breasted One". He is our sustenance and
nourishment. He feeds, heals and keeps His mighty hand of
protection and love upon us!

The
union between God the Father and His Only Begotten Son during His
earthly ministry is a Mystery. Some misguided theologians believe
that Jesus emptied Himself completely during His incarnation, but
that would have destroyed the UNITY of
the Godhead.

That teaching is not biblical.
It is spurious and utter nonsense! How could Jesus, Who was TRUE
God from eternity and TRUE man by His Virgin Birth, suddenly no
longer be God?

The Bible says that He created
the worlds and keeps the solar system functioning perfectly by His
WORD. If He abdicated the throne for three years, there would no
longer be a cosmos or a livable earth!

“God
… hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, Whom He had
appointed heir of all things, by also HE MADE THE WORLDS;
Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of
His Person, and UPHOLDING ALL THINGS by
the Word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat
down on the right hand of the Majesty on High.” (Hebrews:
1-3)

JESUS
WAS FULLY GOD & FULLY MAN!

Jesus Christ never stopped
being God the Son! He was in the BOSOM of His Father from
Eternity, during His INCARNATION (God in human flesh) and is now
and forevermore! During His time on earth, He
was Fully God and Fully Man!

St. Paul stated: “Jesus
(Who) being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal
with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the
form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being
found in fashion of a man, He humbled Himself, and
became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Phil.2:
6-8)

Jesus CONCEALED His divinity even
to His disciples for a time, so that He could finish His work
before His sacrificial death for us all. His true identity was
revealed to Peter, James and John on the Mount of transfiguration,
when Almighty God stated: “This is My Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased. Hear ye Him.” (Matt.17:5)

The Bible records: “And (He)
was transfigured before them: and His face did shine as the sun,
and His raiment was white as the light... and when the disciples
heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.

"And
Jesus came and touched them, and said arise, Be not
afraid....Jesus charged them, Tell the vision to
no man, until the Son of man is risen again from the dead” (John
17: 2-9)

JOHN CALVIN stated: “He continued to retain His
divinity entire though it was concealed under the veil of flesh.
There are good reasons why He enjoined His disciples to keep
silence, til He be risen from the dead...And indeed, the disciples
would not have believed it, if Christ had not given a more
striking PROOF of His glory in the resurrection.

“But
after that His divine power had been openly displayed that
temporary exhibition of His glory began to be admitted so as to
make it fully evident, that even during that time, that He emptied
Himself."

Jesus Christ never stopped
being God the Son! He was in the BOSOM of His Father from
Eternity, during His INCARNATION (God in human flesh) and is NOW
and forevermore! During His time on earth, He was Fully God and
Fully Man!

This same union exists between
Jesus and “the
sons of God”through the New Birth. He is in us and we are in Him. (1 Jn.3:1, 2; Rom.8:15-17). And in
the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, between the Bride and the
Bridegroom.

The Church is the Bride and
Jesus is the Bridegroom. John the Baptist stated: “He
that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the
bridegroom, which stands and heareth Him, rejoices greatly because
of the Bridegroom’s voice:This my joy therefore is fulfilled.” (John
3:29)

JESUS is also pictured as the Good
Shepherd. He said: “I am the Good Shepherd and know My
sheep, and am known of Mine. As the Father knows Me, even so know
I the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep.” (John 10:
14, 15)

He told the parable of the
sheep lost in the wilderness, which the shepherd searched for and
found: “And when he
had found it, he laid it upon his shoulders, rejoicing.” (Luke
15: 4-6)

The Bible states: “He shall feed His flock like a Shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with
His arm, and carry them in His BOSOM, and shall gently lead those that are with young.” (Is.40:11)

Here is another Scripture that
modernist theologians have used to diminish the truth of Jesus of
Nazareth being fully God and fully man. And,
unfortunately, many unknowing preachers have fallen for it!

"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because
that God sent His ONLY BEGOTTEN SON into the world, that we might
live through Him." (I
John 4:9). We have life though our Lord Jesus Christ, Whom God
sent "to be the
propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4: 10)

The word propitiation means satisfaction, covering and
expiation. This means that the sacrificial
all-atoning death of Jesus Christ, satisfied the Demands
of Divine Justice to appease the wrath of God against the
sins of a rebellious human race from the time of Adam.

THE
ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD

We find the unique phrase, "the only begotten Son", also in John 1: 14, 18; John
3:16 in the Authorized King James Version, New King James Version,
Amplified and the New American Standard Bible. Unfortunately, most
of the other versions have exchanged the original words to unique Son of God, only Son of God, One and only Son of God.

The Bible states: “"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the
Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things
were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was
made.”(John 1:1-3)

These verses inform us that Jesus
Christ is the Creator of the worlds and all things therein! St.
John states: “And
the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His
glory, the glory as of the ONLY BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER,
full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

Again St. John writes: “No
man hath seen God at any time; the ONLY BEGOTTEN SON,
which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him" (John
1:18)

DR. HENRY MORRIS states: “The
Greek word for "only begotten" is monogenes,
the very form of which clearly denotes"only
generated." As monotheism connotes only one God
and monosyllable means a word of only one syllable, so monogenesmeans only one genesis or only one generated--or, more
simply,only begotten. It
does not mean "one," or even "one and only."
It is worth noting that, although Christ is called the Son, or Son
of God, frequently in the New Testament, He
is never (in the Greek original) called the "only" son
of God.

The fact is, that to call Him
the only Son of God would make the Bible contradict itself, for He
is not the only Son of God, and certainly not the "one and
only" Son of God. Angels are
several times called the sons of God (e.g., Job 38:7) since they
had no fathers, being directly created by God.

Likewise, Adam
was called the son of God (Luke 3:38), because he was
directly created. The same applies even tofallen
angels (Genesis 6:2), and even to Satan (Job 1:6), because they also were created beings. The
term is also used in a spiritual sense, of course, for those who
have become "new
creations" in Christ Jesus by faith (II Corinthians 5:17;
Ephesians 2:10; etc.)

In this sense, we also are "sons
of God" (e.g., I John 3:2) by special creation? not
physically but spiritually. But it is never applied in this sense
to Christ, for He is not acreatedson of God (as the Jehovah's Witnesses and other cultists
teach), butabegottenSon
of God --
in fact, the only begottenSon
of God.

He never had a beginning, for
He was there in the beginning (John 1:1). In His prayer to the
Father in the upper room, He spoke of "the
glory which I had with thee before the world was" (John
17:5)

BEHOLD,
A VIRGIN SHALL CONCEIVE!

Nothing could be clearer than
Dr. Henry Morris’ Commentary on the unique phrase “only begotten” which
can used for Christ Jesus alone!

Seven hundred years before the
incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, Isaiah prophesied his VIRGIN
BIRTH: “Therefore
the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall
conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” (Is.
7: 14)

St. Luke chronicles the
glorious Christmas Story of Archangel Gabriel’s visit to a
Jewish Virgin called Miriam (Mary) to inform her of God’s great
plan of Redemption that would involve her.

He said: “Fear not, Mary: For thou hast found favour with God. And, behold thou
shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call
His name JESUS. He
shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: And
the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His Father David:

“And
He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His
Kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How
shall this be seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and
said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power
of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy
thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of
God.” (Luke 1:28-35)

To confirm His Words to Mary,
God sent His Angel to Joseph, her fiancé. Naturally. he was upset
and confused at the news of Mary’s pregnancy.

JESUS
CHRIST SAVIOUR SON OF GOD!

The Angel of God reassured him: “Joseph,
thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for
that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall
bring forth a Son, and thou shall call Him JESUS,
for He shall save His people from their sins.

“Now
all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by
the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and
shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel,
which being interpreted is, God with us.” (Matt.1:20-23)

John’s Gospel is about God
the Son becoming a man through the INCARNATION (God in human
flesh) which is the greatest miracle this world has ever
witnessed. More than 700 years before His Virgin birth in
Bethlehem, the prophet Isaiah made this prophetic utterance:

“Therefore
the Lord Himself shall give you a sign, Behold a virgin shall
conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” (Isaiah
7:14)

Leading Hebrew scholars state
that “a virgin” is better read“the
virgin”. The
Hebrew definite article ha indicates
that a specific woman is in view. The word virgin used here is the
unique Hebrew term ‘almah.’
A comparison of the six other instances where it occurs (Gen.24:43;
Ex. 2:8; Ps.68: 25; Prov. 30: 19. Song 1: 5, 8) shows
that it is the most precise term the prophet could have chosen to
indicate that the young woman in view was indeed a virgin. The
more common word betulah is used
twice to refer to a married woman (Deut.22: 19 and Joel 1: 8)

Thus the Septuagint
Translation of ‘almah’ as Parthenos(virgin)
is correct, as is Matthew 1:23. Shall conceive is a feminine
adjective connected with an active participle (“bearing”) and
should be translated “is pregnant”.

Thus the scene is present to
the prophet’s view and he sees the pregnant virgin about to bear
a Son. That this prophecy must refer to the virgin birth of Christ
is obvious since the virgin is pregnant and is still a virgin.
Immanuel is a symbolic name meaning God is with us. He is the
incarnate Son of God Who is further pictured as the Christ-Prince
in Isaiah 9:6. –Taken
from Nelson Study Bible

NO-ONE
ACCEPTED LUTHER’S CHALLENGE!

MARTIN LUTHER threw out this
challenge: “If a Jew
or a Christian or a Mohammedan can prove to me that in any other
passage of Scripture ‘almah’ means a married woman, I will
give him a hundred florins, although God only knows where I may
find them.”

No-one took him up on his
challenge!

Never in the history of mankind
has a virgin given birth to a baby without a man’s seed through
sexual intercourse or artificial insemination! Of such importance
was the sign that God gave concerning the birth of His Son that
the prophet emphasized: “The Lord Himself shall give you a sign."

The Holy Scripture says:
“Behold while he (Joseph) thought on these things, behold, the
angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream saying, Joseph
thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for
that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

“And
she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS:
for He shall save His people from their sins. Now, all this was
done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the LORD by
the prophet, saying, Behold aVIRGIN shall be
with child, and shall bring forth a SON, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, GOD
WITH US.” (Matt.1:
20-25)

Jesus of Nazareth was born to die. He was born crucified!Facing the humiliation of the cross, He said: “Now
is My soul troubled’ and what shall I say, save Me from this
hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.”(John 12: 27).

WHOSE
SIDE ARE
YOU ON?by: Rev. Max
Solbrekken, D.D.

CHAPTER
1: TWO ROADS

Millions
today are groping in the darkness of despair as they journey down
life's road toward eternity!

Multitudes
have not
found the way of true happiness and joy and are searching for
peace and an answer to life’s problems, heartaches and ills.Many others have known the true essence of life but
somehow have gone astray, lost the way and are haphazardly
adrift on the sea of life.

The
saying goes, “When in Rome do as the Romans do”,
or “Follow the crowd”.The great bulk of humanity are doing just that.They are following the crowd.Take the easy way out or the path of least resistance.The sad part is that the crowd is not always right, and
the path of least resistance is often the wrong path which
becomes a rut into which the journeyer finds himself bogged
down.Chained by bad
habits and inability to say “No” to evil
suggestions and fettered by wicked companions, such a person
becomes an easy mark for Satan.

My
dear friend, perhaps you are one of the restless multitudes in
this rut, the broad road that the Bible speaks of which will
eventually take you to doom and damnation in Hell, unless you
repent of your sins and get off this road.

The
Bible says:“There
is a way that seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are
the ways of death”. (Proverbs 16:25)

It
seems natural to do what others are doing, however, the natural
man is often motivated by the lusts, greed and prides of this
wicked world.The
Carnal man is sinful and out of fellowship with the
righteousness of God.Therefore,
the natural man is at enmity with God.

God's
word states: “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God:for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed
can be.” (Romans 8:7);“Ye
adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of
the world is enmity with God?whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the
enemy of God,” (James 4:4) Sinful
man cannot do good unless God intervenes and changes his nature
through the process of new birth: “Jesus answered and said
unto him, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born
again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)

Look
around and follow the current events in the news media to
realize that this world is corrupt and continually getting worse
with wars, social and political upheavals, increases in the
crime rate, immorality, sex perversion and broken homes.

FOLLOWING
THE CROWD: A BAD IDEA!

In
other words, the CROWD is corrupt and getting worse. If you
follow this crowd you will find yourself in bad company and
serious trouble spiritually! The
Bible says, “Enter ye in at the strait gate:for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth
to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat.Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which
leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it”. (Matthew
7:13-14) Jesus
urged, “Strive to enter in at the strait gate:for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and
shall not be able”. (Luke 13:24). To strive means to “put
some effort” into finding the right way.

It
must be very important to enter the straight gate or Jesus would
not have admonished us to STRIVE TO ENTER IN.The reason is that the wrong road leads to an eternal
hell, and the right one takes you to Heaven.The Bible says:“Wide
is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction
and many there be which go in thereat”.

Many
are on this broad road because the gate is wide enough to take
in everyone, regardless of a person’s wickedness, evil habits
or unrighteous companions.There
is plenty of room, and no questions asked - that is of course,
until it is too late to get off.The murderer travels this road together with the gambler,
drunkard, liar and thief.

It
is the broad road and is easy travelling because this road has a
slight downward grade, although not very noticeable at the
start.The
self-righteous Church member who has never been saved together
with the modernistic theologian, the atheist and the communist,
all have plenty of room to travel without even rubbing
shoulders, because the road is so wide.

The
alcoholic, drug user, the unfaithful, deceptive wife or husband,
rich and poor, well and sick, young and old, respected and
despised, educated and illiterate, bond and free, all may
travel.

Caution
is thrown to the winds and off you go merrily on your way - the
music blares and you sail along!TRAVEL NOW - PAY LATER, SEEMS TO BE THE SLOGAN
- Yes, this is the broad road to destruction.JESUS warns you to get off it NOW. Don't stay on it a
minute longer. Jump off it immediately and enter the Straight
Gate onto the NARROW Road that leads to LIFE and Eternal Bliss!

DO
YOU KNOW WHICH ROAD YOU ARE ON?

You
may ask, “How do I know which road I am on?”I am glad you ask that question, because I have the
answer for you.The
Bible says, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of
God”. (Romans 3:23)“There
is none righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 2:10)“Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my
mother conceive me”. (Psalms 51:5)

The
Scripture tells us that through Adam’s transgression the whole
human race was plunged into sin.“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the
world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for
that all have sinned.”(Romans 5:12)Through
the Scripture we see that everyone is born in sin and because of
the fall, the human race inherited the stigma of sin.

Secondly,
we learn that man’s nature is sinful and he is a sinner by
choice.The Bible
says: “All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned
every one to his own way; the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity
of us all.”( Isaiah 53:6) ; “The heart is deceitful above
all things, and desperately wicked:who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

“The
fool hath said in his heart, there is no God.They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there
is none that doeth good.The
Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if
there were any that did understand, and seek God.They are all gone aside, they are all together become
filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” (Psalms
14:1-3)

We
have now established the fact that all human beings are sinners,
not only by birth and nature, but also by choice.Jesus exhorts everyone to, “Enter into the strait
gate”, because everyone naturally is on the broad road to
start with, and must turn off to get on the right road.

ALL
A SINNER MUST DO TO GO TO HELL IS TO CONTINUE WHAT HE IS DOING,
but there is a way of escape. There is a way out and salvation
is available for everyone who believes and turns to the Lord.
Jesus Christ came to redeem us and save us from our sins, the
power of Satan and the broad road.

Lost
souls must call out to God for mercy, receive His wonderful
salvation - purchased by Christ’s blood and get on the narrow
road and enter the straight gate which takes us to Heaven.Jesus said: “Except a man be born of water and the
Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God”. (John 3: 5)

Here
is your answer - All those who have not had a personal encounter
with Jesus Christ, been born again by the incorruptible Word of
God and by the Spirit of God and had their sins washed away by
“the precious blood”, is on the broad road and lost in their
sins!

NOT
VERY MANY ARE GOING TO BE SAVED!

The
Bible states that because, “Wide is the gate and broad is the
road”, many will go in thereat.The broad road is crowded with journeyers travelling
toward their doom and destruction.In Matthew 7:14, the Bible declares, “Because strait is
the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and few
there be that find it”.He
asked how many would be saved? He answered: “Strive to enter
in at the strait gate:for
many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be
able”. (Luke 13:24)

The
Gate to Heaven is straight - no crookedness can enter there.Foolish pride must be swept away.There is no room for human reasoning because the gate
will not move, be enlarged or slanted to take in the new
ideology, theories or curricula of sinful, carnal humanity.Some preach that there are many ways to be saved and gain
admittance into the Kingdom of God.

This
is utterly false.“Jesus saith
unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life:no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” (John
14:6)

Jesus
did not say, I am one of the ways, but He said I AM THE WAY.No wonder our Lord said, “Strait is the gate”, for
that gate will not bend or expand to accept any other doctrines
or beliefs except the words, teachings and doctrine of Jesus
Christ, the Son of the living God.The gate that Jesus spoke of will not conform or change
to fit the traditions or customs of a changing world and a
carnal, secular society.NO,
THANK GOD!The Gate
that leads to God and Heaven is FIXED forever and is as
unchanging as God Himself.

Anyone
entering this gate must humble himself, and in order to enter
the straight gate must do so on his kneesleaving behind him all his unbelief, pride, lust and
greed.There is no
room for excess baggage as the individual passes through this
gate.Webster’s
Dictionary defines the word “straight” as Jesus used it here
as, “Being in a right line”.That right line is God’s way -
none other will do!

The
hymn writer penned the words

“Just
as I am without one plea,

But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God I come, I come.”

Without
exception, everyone must come the same way, and there is no
respect of persons - rich and poor, educated and illiterate,
wise and foolish - all must come in through the same gate and
conform to the straightness of this gate.There is no favoritism or partiality.

There
is only one way to God, Heaven and eternal life.It is a definite, certain and fixed way, and that way is
Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world.Jesus said, “I am the door:by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved”. (John
10:9).Here Jesus
emphasizes that there is only one door, and to be saved we must
come through Him.

There
are not many doors to God’s Kingdom, but one only - the
Lord Jesus Christ.Jesus
says, “No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me”. (John
14:6)There it is!Mohammed, Buddha, Confucius, Shiva or the Popewill not do - the Virgin Mary, St. Peter or the angel
Moroni cannot save you.There
is no other way to be saved than by and through God’s Divine
Resurrected Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.St. Peter declared, “There is none other name under
heaven given among men whereby we must be saved”. (Acts
4:12)

THERE
ARE MILLIONS OF GODS!

The
heathen have millions of gods and false Christs, but there is
only ONE TRUE CHRIST and His Name is the Lord Jesus Christ - the
only one who is able to save you.The Bible says, “There is one mediator between God
and men, the Man Christ Jesus”. (1 Timothy 2:5)Jesus Christ the resurrected Saviour is the mediator
between Almighty God and sinful man.

Millions
of people seek peace and forgiveness by bathing in some river or
by having holy water - supposedly blessed by a religious person
- sprinkled upon them.Others,
by making pilgrimages to shrines, reciting repetitious prayers
continually, counting beads or doing penance by lying on spikes,
walking on coals of fire, beating themselves and even carrying a
cross on their back or abstaining from food.

BUT,
OH, HOW FUTILE!WHAT
A WASTE OF TIME AND ENERGY WHEN WE KNOW THE TRUTH - when Jesus
Christ has paid the penalty for our sins and has shed His blood;
suffered and died so that we can be forgiven, healed and
blessed; and that He rose again from the dead and lives
forevermore!

There
is only ONE Who can give peace to troubled minds, joy to
tortured hearts, new life to the lost and forgiveness to the
sinful, and I must shout it out loud and clear, His Name is
Jesus.He alone is
the Saviour of the world.The
hymn writer stated:

“What
can wash away my sin,

Nothing
but the blood of Jesus;

What
can make me pure within

Nothing
but the blood of Jesus.

Oh!Precious is the flow

That
makes me white as snow;

No
other fount I know,

Nothing
but the blood of Jesus.”

God's
Word says, "Without shedding of blood is no remission."
(Hebrews 9:22); "The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son cleanseth
us from all sin." (1 John 1:7). Many ask, "Why
could not Buddha, Mohammed or the Pope be saviours as well as
Jesus? The answer is very simple!

The Bible declares, “For God so loved the world,
that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in
Him should not perish, but have everlasting life”. (John
3:16).God had only
One Son, and His only begotten Son’s name was not Buddha,
Mohammed, Shiva or Pope Pius. The name of God’s Son is JESUS.

The angel said to Joseph:“Thou shalt call His name Jesus:for He shall save His people from their sins”.(Matthew 1: 23);Jesus said, “As My Father
hath sent Me, even so send I you”. (John 20:21);“As Thou hast sent Me into this world, even so have I
also sent them into the world.” (John 17:18)

Jesus repeatedly stated that He is the Son of God. (John
5:18; 10:30 - 33; Mark 14: 61,62) And don’t forget that Jesus
Christ was the only One Who died on the cross for our sins,
fulfilling the Old Testament prophesies (Isaiah 53:4,5; Matthew
8:16,17; 1 Peter 2:24), and we readthat Jesus was, “declared to be the Son of God with
power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection
from the dead”. (Romans 1:4)Praise the Lord!

So we see that the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the
dead sets Him apart from all other men of all ages and gives
final proof to the fact that He was, is and always will be the
Divine, Holy Son of God and the only Saviour of the world.Jesus Christ stands completely and altogether above
everyone else because He was the only one who had power to rise
from the dead.

A dead man cannot help you and all of those other people
who have been mentioned are dead and gone, but Jesus Christ
lives on in power and greatness; resurrected and alive; able to
save and deliver all who come unto God by Him. (Hebrews 7:25)

ON
WHICH ROAD ARE YOU TRAVELLING?

Now I want to ask you a pointed question:Who's Side are you on?

On which road are you travelling? As you read these lines
I must remind you that you are on one of these roads, either the
broad road with the wide gate which will take you to an eternal
hell, or the narrow road with the straight gate that brings you
to Heaven and Eternity with God.There is NO middle road and NO neutral ground. You are
either on one road or the other.We are all travellers into Eternity.Every person living today is on one of these roads.If you have not given your heart and life to God and
accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, Lord and Master, then you
are a lost soul on the road to hell, and will never have peace,
joy or happiness in this life or the one to come, if you
continue in the way you are going.

TODAY, AS YOU READ THESE LINES YOU CAN COME TO JESUS AND
BY FAITH TURN YOUR LIFE OVER TO GOD; GET OFF THE BROAD ROAD AND
GET ON THE ONE THAT LEADS TO GLORY.“By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God:not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

As the Holy Spirit moves upon you, will you not surrender
your entire life to the Lord; slip down on your knees in prayer
to God; cry out for mercy as the publican did in the Bible, “God,
be merciful to me a sinner”; (Luke 18:10-14)Accept the full and free salvation that God offers you
now, and you will enter the straight gate and be on the narrow
road of Christian living.Jesus
said, “Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest”. (Matthew 11:28)Amen.

Study
of
THE BOOK OF EPHESIANSby:
Pastor Max Solbrekken

St.
Paul’s salutation in the beginning of his letter to the church
at Ephesus begins with him bestowing God’s wonderful peace upon
them.

Then,
he immediately proclaims a testimony of praise unto the Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ for His marvelous blessings to us: “He
hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Heavenly places in
Christ."

He
is referring of course to our standing with Him as sons of God
through the New Birth. The important thing to note is that these
blessings have come to us because of our relationship to God the
Father, through his Son Jesus Christ!

‘In
Christ’ is a recurring term we see many times in our study
of the Book of Ephesians.

WE
WERECHOSEN IN CHRIST

The
enormity of the blessings received through the Gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ is so magnanimous and difficult for mortal
man to comprehend. In theology we use the term
“incomprehensible” which means that we cannot understand
or comprehend God.

The
plans and purposes of God for which we were born and the extent to
which the Almighty has gone to call us to Himself, and to protect,
lead, guide and teach us is beyond our ability to understand!

The
Scripture says: “According as He hath chosen us in Him (Christ) before
the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without
blame before Him in love.” (Ephesians 1:4)

When
you consider the fact that we were all born in sin and were
sinners by birth, nature and choice with the propensity to go our
own way and do our own thing, yet Almighty God knew about us and
loved us! (Isaiah 53:6; Proverbs 16:25)

Long
before the earth was formed, God knew that we would become
righteous and without blame before Him in love and that in
humility and repentance we would receive the Gift of His Son and
worship Him in the beauty of holiness!

HOW
COULD HE KNOW THAT?

Before
there was life on this planet, God knew that Adam and Eve would
fall. And the Law of Righteousness demanded a penalty for Sin and
High Treason against the Almighty and that was death - Eternal
Damnation!

The
Lord KNEW that the Man He would create in His own image and
likeness –with a free will - would succumb to the temptation of
the Evil One and would fall, plunging the entire human race into a
downward spiral!

In
His omniscient wisdom our Heavenly Father would send His Own Son
to Planet Earth to be incarnated and to suffer, bleed and die to
redeem mankind from power of SIN and Satan’s snare. He also KNEW
that His Son would defeat Satan, Death and Hell and rise again in
power and great glory, freeing us all from Sin and its awful
power!

It
is amazing that God who is totally pure, righteous and holy deigns
to choose us who were totally the opposite: vile, sinful,
despicable and unholy!

What
is the essential message I receive from this astounding text? “That
I am wanted by the Highest Authority in the Universe. That I was
chosen by the King Eternal, the Creator of Heaven and earth, to be
His very own child! And that I would somehow be changed from being
His enemy to being His friend – from a beggar in rags to a
Prince in His Palace!"

WHAT
MORE DO I LEARN?

I
learn that His plan has always been to transform me from'Guilty' to 'Blameless' and that His Grace would
accomplish that. His love would somehow change me and more than
that, His Love would also become my Love!

Talk
about Grace! Talk about Peace! St. Paul knew what he was
writing about! He had been a hateful, spiteful, horrible murderous
and proud Pharisee, despoiling the Church through a terrifying
spiritual blindness that was anchored in pride and
ignorance!

Then,
suddenly all was changed and he made a one hundred and eighty
degree turn when he was blinded by the Light and heard the Voice
of the Just One on the Damascus Road!

The
change was so dramatic that it wasn’t long before he was hunted
with a price on his head by the very fanatical religious
leadership who had earlier authorized him to kidnap, torture and
kill the disciples of Jesus, the Messiah!

Many
years later, he communicates this matchless truth to the new
converts in the Church at Ephesus. You may ask, “How could
all this come about?"

We
have not only been Chosen by our Heavenly Father but we have been
predestined to be His sons and daughters through Adoption!

What
an amazing, grandiose and marvelous truth! That a wicked, vile,
unrighteous sinner and an enemy of God who has broken His laws and
flaunted His Commandments is chosen by the Lord of Glory to be His
adopted Son!

That
Christ Himself would be crucified by ‘sinful man’ whom He had
come to earth to redeem and adopt as His own – and all this
planned and executed in the heart of the Saviour before the
foundations of the world were laid.

All
this was done by God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit: “Having
predestinated us unto the Adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.” (Ephesians
1:5)

ACCEPTED
IN THE BELOVED

The
Holy Bible states: “To the praise of the glory of His grace,
wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. In Whom
we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of His grace.” (Ephesians 1: 6, 7)

What
does this mean, “To the praise of the glory of His
grace?” As our finite minds are supernaturally expanded to
understand more of His ‘wondrous workings’ we get a
glimpse of His grace at work in sinful lives doing what is humanly
impossible!

A
sinner and outcast running from God, doomed for Hell and perdition
is lifted out of servitude to the world, the flesh and the Devil
and is redeemed, liberated and taken into God’s Family.

When
we taste of His goodness and love we begin to understand a little
of His grace! Therefore, we praise our Heavenly Father and glorify
Him for His matchless grace toward us all. Not only has He
cleansed us from our sin and filth but He has made us accepted in
the Beloved!

We
have passed the test! We have been accepted in the Beloved and
made ready for the ‘Marriage Supper
of the Lamb’, to be a part of the Bride our Heavenly Bridegroom!

Here
is the answer to this Mystery: “In Whom we have redemption
through His Blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches
of His grace.” (Ephesians 1:7).

A
Gospel Song says it all: What can wash away my sins?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus! What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus! Oh, precious is that flow; That
makes me white as snow. No other fount I know, nothing but the
Blood of Jesus! Nothing but the Blood of Jesus!

ONLY
THROUGH THE BLOOD

Another
Gospel song says: “Redeemed how I love to proclaim it,
Redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb. Redeemed through His infinite
mercy; His child and forever I am."

We
were lost in sin, unbelief and folloujhjwing in the footsteps of
our father Adam who hath committed High Treason against his
Creator. We were in the Enemy’s Camp bound by chains of
unbelief, lust, fear and pride when the Holy Spirit called us and
we answered that call, not fully understanding the magnitude of
the charges against us.

Only
by an act of mercy and grace were we accepted in the Beloved,
transformed by His love and grace through the New Birth and washed
by the precious, holy, living Blood of Christ, thereby receiving
the forgiveness and a new standing in the Kingdom of God.

It
is all made possible by the Grace of God, given to us by the
vicarious death of Jesus Christ and His glorious resurrection from
the dead! St. Paul is enraptured - as we are also – by the fact
that God has revealed this great wisdom and prudence to Sinful
Man.

Unto
Paul was given the great honour and privilege to unlock this
Mystery of ‘How
and Why’ our redemption came about! In his Epistle
to the Colossians, St. Paul shares this great and amazing truth.

“Whereof
I am made a Minister, according to the dispensation of God which
is given to me for you to fulfill the Word of God:

“Even
the MYSTERY which hath been hid from ages and from
generations, but now is made manifest to His saints: to whom God
would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among
the Gentiles: which is Christ in you the Hope of
Glory.” (Colossians 1: 26, 27)

Even
though the Eternal God carried this great plan and purpose of
Redemption in His great heart for millennia, He never divulged it
to the Prophets but uncovered these great truths to the Apostle
Paul who would carry this message of Good News to the Gentile
World.

He
explains: “Having made known to us the MYSTERY of
His Will according to His good pleasure which He has purposed in
Himself: That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He
might gather together in One all things in CHRIST, both which
are in Heaven, and which are in earth: even in Him:

“In
Whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated
according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the
counsel of His own Will: That we should be to the praise of His
glory, who first trusted in Christ.” (Ephesians 1: 9-12)

BEYOND OUR COMPREHENSION

All
this is beyond our comprehension or understanding, nevertheless,
absolutely TRUE and wonderful over and above anything our human
minds can assimilate and our limited thought processes can absorb
and speech can properly articulate!

In
the glorious hymn, ‘Rock of Ages’, Augustus M. Toplady
(1740-1778) wrote: ‘Nothing
in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling; naked, come to
thee for dress; helpless, look to thee for grace; foul, I to the
fountain fly; wash me, Saviour, or I die."

We
did nothing to deserve this great honour and privilege, to be
adopted by the King of kings and Lord of lords and to be made
heirs of God and joint heirs with our Saviour:

“For
as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but
ye have received the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry, Abba
Father.

“The
Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit that we are
children of God: And if children, then heirs: heirs of God and
joint heirs with Christ: if so be we suffer with Him, that we may
be also glorified together.” (Romans 8: 14-17)

St.
Peter also boldly writes about our exalted position as children of
Almighty God and our eternal inheritance: “Blessed be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to abundant
mercy hath begotten us again (born again) unto a
lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

“To
an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not
away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God
through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last
time.” (1 Peter 3-5)

“Wherefore
the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and
election sure, for if you do these things, ye shall never fall: For
so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the
everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” (2
Peter 1:9,10)

PRAISE
OF HIS GLORY

ST.
PAUL received the great Mystery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and
was sent by our Lord to the Gentile world, while St. Peter and
others ministering mostly to Jews.

He
declared: “In Whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being
predestinated according to the purpose of Him Who worketh all
things after the counsel of His will. That we should be to
the praise of His glory who first trusted in Christ.

“In
Whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the Gospel of your
salvation: in Whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed
with that Holy Spirit of Promise, which is the earnest of our
inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto
the praise of His glory.” (Ephesians 1:7-14)

Believers
in Christ are to be “unto the praise of His glory.” How
could we be to the praise of HIS glory? What can we
possibly do to bring glory to Him? That is a stretch by all
human measurements, but not with God, because with God all things
are possible! (Mark 9:23; 10:27)

St.
Paul doesn’t stop there. He writes to former Pagans and
Gentiles in Rome concerning the faith of Abraham, thusly:

“He
staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was
strong in faith; And being fully persuaded that, what He had
promised, He was able also to perform. And therefore it was
imputed unto him for righteousness.

“Now
it was not written for his sake ALONE, that it was imputed to
him; But FOR US also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we
believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.”
(Romans 4:20-24)

The
Pharisees were saying, “Sure, it happened to Abraham, but it
can’t happen today.” St. Paul answers: “Yes,
it can happen today and it does happen today.

As
Abraham sacrificed the ram in place of his son Isaac, he
understood that Messiah, God’s Son would die on the cross for
the sins of the world and rise again for his justification.

He
looked forward to the Cross and was justified. We look back
at the Cross and are justified. He believed God and miracles
happened. Paul believed God and miracles happened.

Today we
also believe God and miracles happen because our Saviour purchased
our Freedom on Calvary’s Cross and bodily resurrection
three days later! (Romans 4: 24,25)

The
Religious today are peddling the ‘same old, same old’:
“It happened in Paul’s day but not today. The Day of Miracles
is past."

Tell
that to St. Paul and you would get an earful! Miracles of
salvation and healing happened when Abraham walked the earth
and during Paul’s generation and is still happening today, because
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever! (Hebrews
13:8)

THERE
IS MORE, MUCH MORE

But,
there is more, yes. Much more! When you first trusted in Christ,
your name was written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life. After you
believed and were born again, Jesus Christ Himself gave you the
Gift of the Holy Spirit and filled you with great joy, fire and
power. At that moment, you were sealed with the Spirit of
Promise!

You
may ask, “What does that mean?” The Holy Spirit answers
to the BLOOD of Jesus Christ.

When
a sinner receives Christ as his personal Saviour, the Blood of
Christ cleanses and washes away his sins. He is redeemed and
brought into the Kingdom of God. It is, however, the work of the
Holy Spirit to bring that soul into the body of Christ.

After
conversion, the Holy Spirit continues working with that soul and
when his hunger and thirst intensifies and reaches out to God for
more of Him, Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church personally
baptizes Him with the Holy Spirit of Promise, thereby sealing him
until the Day of Redemption!

Here
is a marvelous truth: We are sealed until the Day of
Redemption for the Purchased Possession, which is the Believer!
The Holy Spirit guarantees our eternal redemption by sealing us
for Christ until we see Him face to face, until the redemption. He
purchased us with His precious Blood. He owns us. We are His
Purchased Possession!

Again,
St. Paul nails down this great truth. In warning the Church at
Ephesus to live a pure, holy and righteous life, he also warned
against grieving the Holy Spirit of God!

“If
so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him, as the
truth is in JESUS; that ye put off concerning the former
conversation (lifestyle) the OLD MAN which is corrupt
according to the deceitful lusts: And be renewed in the spirit of
your mind: and that ye put on the NEW MAN, which after God is
created in righteousness and true holiness;

“Wherefore
putting away lying speak every man truth with his neighbour for we
are members one of another...Neither give place to the devil. Let
him that stole steal no more, but rather let him labour working
with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have to give to
him that needeth.

“Let
no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which
is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto
the hearers.

“And
grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed until the
Day of Redemption.” (Ephesians 4: 21-30)

May
God’s blessings rest upon us all until He returns in the Rapture
of the Church! Amen.

FOUR
ESSENTIAL TRUTHSthat must not be
diminished,
downgraded or dismissed!by:
Pastor Max Solbrekken

THE
WORD OF GOD has power to free you from bondage, sin, fear and
sickness. The Bible says, "He hath sent His Word and
healed them, and delivered them from all their destructions."
(Psalms 107:20)

THE
BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST is so powerful that it cleanses us from
all our sin and purges the conscience. The Bible says,
"If we walk in the Light as He is in the Light, we have
fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ, God's
Son cleanses us from all sins." (1 John 1:7)

THE
HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD baptizes us into the Body of Christ at
conversion and as we totally surrender to God, He fills us with
His presence (1 Corinthians 12:13). The Bible says:
"And be not drunk with wine, wherein in excess; but be filled
with the Spirit; (Ephesians 5:18, 19)

THE
NAME OF JESUS CHRIST is the greatest weapon to drive Satan
away from us. Jesus said: "Go ye into all the world and
preach the Gospel unto every creature, He that believeth and is
baptized shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be
damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe.
In My Name, shall they cast out devils..." (Mark 16:15-20;
Luke 10:17-20)

HEALING
FOR
SPIRIT, SOUL & BODYby:
Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.

The
Greek word SOZO means to 'protect, deliver, heal, preserve, save
and make well.' In reality it means the 'Salvation of God'.
Seven hundred years before Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, the Prophet
Isaiah declared, "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a
sign, Behold a VIRGIN shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall
call His name Emmanuel." (Isaiah 7:14)

The
Angel Gabriel appeared to Joseph saying, "....Fear not to
take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her
is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a Son, and
thou shalt call His name JESUS for He shall save His people from
their sins."

"Now
all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of
the Lord by the prophet saying, Behold a 'virgin' shall be with
child, and shalt bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name
Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, GOD WITH US."
(Matthew 1:20-23)

The
name of 'Jesus' in Hebrew is 'Yeshua' which means 'the Salvation
of God'. God's salvation for mankind is 'forgiveness,
healing, protection, wellness and deliverance' from the power of
the Devil and His evil work.

The
name of 'JESUS' means: 'Saviour, the salvation of God; the God who
saves, heals, protects, delivers and makes well."

Everywhere
our Lord went, he preached the Gospel and confirmed His message by
healing the sick and casting out evil spirits from those who were
bound: "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that
He might destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8)

The
Bible states: "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the
Holy Ghost and power who went about doing good and healing all who
were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him." (Acts
10:38)

"...Jesus
of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and
wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as ye
yourselves also know." (Acts 2:22)

"How
shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which at the
first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by
them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with
signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy
Ghost, according to His own will." (Hebrews 2:3,4)

GOD'S
WORD says: "Is any sick among you? Let him call for the
elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him
with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall
'SAVE' the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have
committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." (James 5:14,15)

The
word SOZO used here means to heal the sick and make them well, is
used interchangeably for forgiveness and healing for body or soul
in the following Scriptures: Mark 5:23, Mark 5:34, Mark
6:56, Mark 16:16, Luke 8:36, Luke 17:19, Luke 18:42, Acts 2:21,
Acts 14:9, Acts 4:12 and Ephesians 2:8.

THE
HOLY RECORD states: "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget
not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who
healeth all thy diseases." (Psalms 103:2,3); "He was
wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our
iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him and with
his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:4,5)

"And
when the even was come, they brought unto Him (JESUS) many that
were possessed with devils; and He cast out the spirits with His
Word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled
which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, "Himself took
our infirmities and bare our sicknesses." (Matthew 8:16,17);
"Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree,
that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness, by
Whose stripes ye were healed." (1 Peter 2:24)

The
BIBLE says, "He hath sent His Word and healed them and
delivered them from their destructions." (Psalms 107:20);
"He brought them forth with silver and with gold' and there
was not one feeble person among their tribes." (Psalms
105:37)

"I
am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything to hard
for Me?" (Jeremiah 32:27); "And ye shall serve the Lord
your God, and He shall bless thy bread and thy water, and I will
take sickness away from the midst of thee." (Exodus 23:24,25)

GOD'S
HEALING COVENANT WITH ISRAEL

In
His great love and concern for His people, Israel, Almighty God
made a 'Healing covenant with Moses' on their behalf. Here
it is:

"If
thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God and
wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His
commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these
diseases upon thee, which i have brought upon the Egyptians, for I
am the Lord that healeth thee." (Exodus 15:26)

The
ten plagues which Jehovah the Covenant God of Israel released upon
the Egyptians that finally forced Pharaoh to allow the Hebrew
slaves leave their bondage did not adversely affect God's people.

The
promise of divine healing and health was reserved for the Hebrews
and by extension to all who trust in Christ our Great physician
Who fulfilled all the types of the coming Messiah.

"He
brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not
one feeble person among their tribes." (Psalms 105:37)
"Then they cried unto the lord God in their trouble, and He
saveth them out of their distresses. He sent His Word and
healed them, and delivered them from their destructions."
(Psalms 107:20)

"God
is a very present help in time of trouble." (Psalms 46:1);
"The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life: of whom shall I be
afraid?" (Psalms 27:1)

"No
good thing will God withhold from them who walk uprightly."
(Psalms 84:11); "There shall no evil befall thee, neither
shall any plague come nigh unto thy dwelling." (Psalms
91:10); "Delight thyself in the Lord, and He shall give thee
the desires of thine heart." (Psalms 37:4); "Unto you
that fear My name shall the Son of righteousness arise with
healing in His wings." (Malachi 4:2)

"No
weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue
that shall rise against thee shalt thou condemn. This is the
heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is
of Me sayeth the Lord." (Isaiah 54:17)

Divine
Healing is promised for those who fast and pray and seek the Lord:
"Is not the fast that I have chosen? To lose the bands of
wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go
free, and that ye break every yoke?"

"Is
it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the
poor that are cast out to thy house? When thou seest the
naked, that thou cover him, and that thou hide not thyself from
thine own flesh?

"For
this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy
the works of the enemy." (1 John 3:8); "The thief
(Satan) cometh not but for to steal, kill and destroy. I am
come that you might have life and more abundantly." (John
10:10)

"Now
unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we
ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us."
(Ephesians 3:20); "And He said unto them, Go ye into all the
world, and preach the Gospel unto every creature. He that
believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth
not shall be damned."

"And
these signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they
cast out devils...they shall lay their hands on the sick, and they
shall recover." (Mark 16:15-20)

Jesus
said: "Come unto Me all ye who labour and are heavy laden and
I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28); "All that the
Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I
will in no wise cast out." (John 6:37)

He
invites us to fellowship with Him through prayer, praise and
meditation. He said, "Ask and it shall be given you;
seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
For everyone that asketh receiveth; he that seeketh findeth; and
to him that knocketh it shall be opened." (Matthew 7:7,8)

Then
He shared this great analogy: "And what man is there of you,
whom if his son asks bread, will he give him a stone?" Something
useless! "Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a
serpent?" Something dangerous!

"If
ye then, being evil, know to give god gifts unto your children,
HOW MUCH MORE shall your Father in Heaven give good things to them
that ask Him? (Matthew 7:9-11) He stated: "I will never
leave thee nor forsake thee. I will be with thee unto the
end of the world." (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5)

In
this PROMISE our precious Lord Jesus used a 'double imperative' to
drive home a very important truth. He actually said: I will
never, NO NEVER leave thee. I will never, NO NEVER forsake
thee, I will be with thee until the end of the world.

Of
all the promises our Lord gave us, I think this is the most
touching. Jesus was so concerned that we know the truth of
His presence and nearness to us at all times!

"The
promises of God in Christ Jesus is Yea and Amen." The Bible
states: "If God be FOR US, who then can be against us?"
(Romans 8:31) "Greater is He that in IN US that he that is in
the world." (1 John 4:4) His promises are 'YES'...and
not NO.

"God
hath delivered us from the power of DARKNESS, and hath translated
us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, in Whom we have REDEMPTION
through HIS BLOOD." (Colossians 1:13, 14)

When
Satan's power was defeated in our lives and we were translated
into Christ's KINGDOM, Satan's power to harass us was finished.
We can tell him to remove his sickness and disease from us for we
are God's PROPERTY.

We
have been purchased by His blood: "Ye are BOUGHT WITH A
PRICE: therefore glorify God in your BODY, and in your SPIRIT,
which are GOD'S." (2 Corinthians 6:20)

My
Friend: In the NAME of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and upon the
authority of God's Word and by the BLOOD of the everlasting
covenant, I command the pain to LEAVE YOUR BODY and the power of
Satan to be broken off your entire being.

We
can legally say: "SATAN: IT'S OVER! YOU HAVE LOST
and WE HAVE WON through JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD! Amen.

My
heart is overflowing with gratitude to our Heavenly Father Who so
lovingly reached down His Hand of mercy to an undeserving world in
sending His Son to redeem us from the clutches of Satan.
Jesus' vicarious death and glorious resurrection purchased our
salvation.

The
Lord is awesome and "His ways are past finding out."
It is impossible to understand the grace of God and why Jesus
would suffer, bleed and die for sinful mankind! Personally,
I am amazed to think of what God has accomplished through this
Ministry during the past 49 years.

Almost
everywhere we meet people who have been saved, healed, filled with
the Holy Spirit or called in His service through this Ministry.
It brings me to my knees in humility when I think of how God
called me into His Holy work, because in my younger years I never
envisioned that I would preach the Gospel.

It
is true that I was taught by my parents to trust in God as a child
and at 17 years of age at SLBI (Lutheran Collegiate Bible
Institute) Outlook, Saskatchewan, I went forward to rededicate my
life to Christ after a stirring appeal by Rev. Sylvan Johnson, a
powerful Lutheran Evangelist. Due to unsaved friends, a
desire for worldly pleasure and lack of back-bone, my confession
didn't hold and I drifted away from God for seven years, until God
called me again through a miracle.

GOD
REVEALED HIMSELF TO OUR FAMILY

My
Dad had suffered for many years with his gall bladder and in March
1956, he entered the hospital for surgery. While there, he
heard a voice in the Norwegian tongue instructing him to go home
and listen to Oral Roberts on the radio. My Dad's gall
bladder was healed perfectly, as was his heart. And my Dad
received the 'Baptism of the Holy Spirit', spoke in tongues and
prophesied.

Those
events surprised me so profoundly that I began experiencing God's
convicting Spirit speaking to me, and for the first time in my
life I saw that His Word was still relevant and that He was
performing miracles as He had done 2000 years ago.

Little
by little, the Holy Spirit drew me to Himself and in June 1957, I
surrendered my life to God. Shortly thereafter, I was
baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire. And I have not been
the same since.

By
the grace of God we celebrated my 78th birthday on May 15th, 2012
and I can testify that He has kept me in good health and strong in
the Spirit. And Donna gets better looking every day!
We are so thankful and overwhelmed by the love showered upon us by
the many who faithfully support us.

On
September 26, 2007, we opened Christ the Healer Gospel Church
is Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and on July 3, 2011 we dedicated the House
of Prayer Gospel Church on Hwy #623, New Sarepta, AB, to our
Lord Jesus Christ. By His grace alone we have been able to
preach His Wonderful Gospel across the world with great success
reaching multitudes of unsaved people for Christ's Kingdom.

On
our way to Kampala, Uganda for the Max Solbrekken Gospel Unity
Crusade and Minister's Conference (September 13-18, 2011), I had
the privilege of reaching many thousands across Scandinavia by TV
from Vision Norway during out six-day Outreach there. It was
such a joy to see so many blessed by our Lord through TV in Norway
and Uganda.

THE
DOORS ARE WIDE OPEN FOR OUR TV MINISTRY

I
began my Radio Ministry in 1961 and graduated to TV in 1971.
For many years, I preached the Gospel in Canada by radio and TV
and reached many unconverted souls for Christ.

NOW,
the doors have swung open for us to do it again. We are
beginning to produce our Programs in Alberta and gradually reach
out across the Nation. I have asked God to give me many
PARTNERS who will gladly help us in this great outreach for Him.

Some
can give more and others an give less. God has assured me
that the 'HARVEST IS RIPE' for a genuine old-time REVIVAL in
Canada.

I
humbly ask all my friends to continue praying that He will lead us
in His perfect will and richly bless those who will sacrifice in
this Holy Project.

Please
let me hear from you and remember, we are praying for you.
May God bless you richly, my friend! Amen.

Jesus
of Nazareth, True God and True Man, was born to salvage a lost world of
sinning men, to destroy the works of the devil and to build His Church.
He came to this sin curses world to introduce us all to His Heavenly
Father, to redeem mankind through His sacrificial death on the Cross and
His glorious resurrection from the dead. He came to heal us and to
fill us with His Blessed Holy Spirit!

Sin
was in the world because Satan was in the world. The devil, who is
the father of sin and death, had been cast out of Heaven and is called
the 'Prince of the power of the air', as well as the 'god of this world'.
(Ephesians 2:2; 2 Corinthians 4:4)

Because
of Satan's rebellion and hatred for God, he had cunningly planned his
strategy by tempting Eve, with the 'Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil'
in the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 3:1-6; Job 1:8-22; Job 2:1-8)

GOD
CALLED - "ADAM WHERE ART THOU?"

The
great transgression had been made by Adam and Eve. Now, for the
moment of truth..... How would Adam and Eve feel? Would they now
be.

GOD
CALLED: “ADAM WHERE ART THOU?”

The
great transgression had been made by Adam and Eve. Now, for the
moment of truth. How would Adam and Eve feel? Would they now
be wise as God, as Satan had promised them? Was the rebellion and
disobedience towards God worth it? No - A thousand times NO.

Adam
and Eve's eyes were opened. But, what did they see? Adam and
Eve saw their own vulnerability, stupidity, weaknesses, sin and
nakedness. Fear stalked them and filled their spirits. They
had not felt fear before sin entered their lives. They realized
they were naked, vulnerable and inadequate. Now, they understood
they must face the music, and meet God alone.

But
where was Satan? Where was the Evil One who had been their wise
counsellor such a short time before?

The
devil was gone to gloat over his victory. I'm sure that the devil,
the liar and deceiver was not far away, probably hiding behind a tree,
excitedly waiting to see the outcome of their sin. The inevitable
outcome was the separation, dis-fellowshipping of God and His special
creation, man.

THE
DEVIL REJOICED OVER ADAM & EVE'S FEAR AND TERROR

Evil
satisfaction must have filled the devil's mind as he observed Adam and
Eve's plight, their complete confusion, perplexity, fear and terror.

Adam
and Eve heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool
of the day. God said, "Adam, where art thou? ADAM, WHERE
ART THOU?"

As
God called Adam that day, He is still calling you and me. "John,
where are you? Mary, where are you?"

Adam
answered, "We are hiding; we are naked; we are afraid"!
God questioned, "Who told you that you were naked? You were
clothed with My glory. Have you eaten of the fruit that I forbad
you"?

Adam
gave a typical answer from a typical sinner! He said, "The
woman you gave me, she gave me of the fruit. It is Eve's fault, she
gave me the forbidden fruit and it's really Your fault, Lord, because You
gave me the woman".

EVERYONE
LIKES TO PASS THE BLAME TO SOMEONE ELSE

It
seems normal for people to justify themselves. It's much easier to
pass the buck or to blame someone else rather than take the blame,
saying, "I made a mistake, I am wrong, please forgive me."

It's
similar to the Minister who enjoyed portraying women in a negative way.
One Sunday morning as he was preaching on 'The Fall of Man', he
vigorously attacked Eve. If Eve, the weaker vessel, hadn't fallen,
the world wouldn't be in the mess it's now in. The preacher nailed
Jezebel and Delilah: "Women are the ruination of many good
men", he shouted.

At
the close of the service, the Minister stood at the door shaking hands.
Some complimented him on a wonderful sermon, while others were glad to
get out the door.

A
tall lady shook his hand and she wasn't smiling. She squeezed his
hand until he said, "Lady, you are hurting me". She
looked him square in the eye and asked, "Pastor, what is the
telephone number of the Garden of Eden"?

He
answered, "I don't know what you are talking about". She
squeezed his hand again until he said, "Ouch". She spoke
again, "Pastor, do you know the telephone number of the Garden of
Eden"? He answered, "Woman, I do not and by the way you
are hurting me." She said, "Well, I know the telephone
number of the Garden of Eden. It's Adam 8-1-2", and she let go
of his hand and left.

Adam
ate one too! Eve wasn't the only one to blame. Adam also
disobeyed God, but really the blame goes into further - straight to the
evil one, the Devil.

THE
DEVIL IS TO BLAME

God
didn't argue with Adam. He turned to Eve and said, "Woman,
what is this that thou hast done?" Eve made more
sense than her husband. She put the blame where it belong: "The
serpent beguiled me and I did eat."

I
agree with Eve. Satan is the culprit. The devil is to blame
for all the sin, fear, heartbreak, divorce, alcoholism, drug addiction
and juvenile delinquency. He is the architect of all that is evil,
wicked and destructive. Riots, anarchy, thievery, murder, sickness,
disease and war are the outcroppings and results of his plans, goals,
purposes and seduction.

SATAN
IS TO BLAME. Shout it loud and clear - the devil is the
troublemaker.

JESUS
CALLED THE DEVIL A LIAR & MURDERER

Jesus
called him a liar, deceiver, murderer and thief. (John 8:44; John
10:10) Our Lord said, "The
thief cometh not for to steal, kill and destroy. I am come that
they might have life and more abundantly." (John 10:10)

YES
- THE DEVIL IS TO BLAME FOR ALL SIN

God
said, "THE SEED OF THE WOMAN SHALL BRUISE THE SERPENT'S HEAD."

Almighty
God called out: "Because
thou hast done this, cursed art thou among all the beasts of the field.
Upon thy belly shalt thou go all the days of thy life..." (Genesis
3:14-15)

It
is noteworthy that some scientists believe that at one time serpents and
snakes walked upright and didn't crawl on their bellies as today.

"And
I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed (the
wicked) and her seed (the righteous). It (Jesus, the seed of the
woman) shall bruise thy head..."

JESUS
DEFEATED THE DEVIL WITH HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS

On
Golgotha's Hill, Jesus defeated the devil. When Jesus paid the
supreme sacrifice for the sins of the world, and rose again from the
dead. He had delivered the death blow to Satan.

When
Jesus cried, "It is finished", He had defeated Satan and since
that very hour the blood of Jesus Christ washes away all the sins of the
repentant sinner, and His stripes bring healing to the believing, sick
person.

The
Bible says, "He (Jesus)
was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities,
the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and by His stripes we are
healed." (Isaiah 53:5)

WHY
DID JESUS COME INTO THE WORLD?

The
Bible says, "For God so
loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever
believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For
God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the
world through Him might be saved."(John 3:16-17)
Hallelujah.

The
Bible says: "Neither is
there salvation through any other, for there is none other name under
Heaven given among men whereby you may be saved, but by the Name of
Jesus"! (Acts 4:12) "There
is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus." (1
Timothy 2:5)

JESUS
CAME THAT WE MIGHT HAVE LIFE

Jesus
said, "I am come that
they might have life and have it more abundantly." (John
10:10) And St. John stated: "For
this purpose was the Son of God manifested that He might destroy the
works of the devil". (1 John 3:8) The Scripture says, "When
the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with
devils: and He cast out the spirits with His word, and healed all that
were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias
the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our
sicknesses." (Matthew 8:16-17)

WHAT
DID ISAIAH PROPHESY?

Hear
it and hear it well: "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He
was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was
upon Him (Jesus) and by His stripes we are healed."! (Isaiah 53:5)

The
Bible says, "Who His own
self (Jesus) bare our sins in His own body on the tree (cross) that we,
being dead to sins should live unto righteousness, by Whose stripes ye
werehealed"! (1
Peter 2:24) "He
that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth
not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on
him." (John 3:36)

THERE
IS ONLY ONE WAY - JESUS CHRIST IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH & THE LIFE

Jesus
said, "I am the way, the
truth and the life and no man cometh unto the Father but by Me." (John
14:6); "I am the door, by
Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved..." (John 10:9)
Again He said, "Come unto
Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." (Matthew
11:28)

WHY
DID JESUS HAVE TO DIE?

The
Bible says, "Without the
shedding of blood there is no remission for sins." (Hebrews
9:22) "It is the
blood that maketh atonement for the soul." (Leviticus
17:11) Again, "The
soul that sinneth it shall surely die." (Ezekiel 18:20)

In
Old Testament times, an animal - without spot or blemish - would be
sacrificed, spilling his blood. (Atonement means "covering")
AS THE LAMB DIED ON THE ALTER IN THE TEMPLE, JESUS THE LAMB OF GOD, DIED
ON THE CROSS TO PAY FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD.

The
Scripture says, "If we
walk in the light as He is in the light we have fellowship one with the
other, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all
sin." (John 1:7)

Jesus
is the Lamb of God, Who was slain for our sins: "One
of the elders saith unto me, weep not: behold the Lion of the tribe of
Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose
the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the
throne...stood a lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven
eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth.

And
He came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the
throne. And when He had taken the book, the four beasts and four
and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them
harps and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints."

"And
they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to
open the seals thereof: for thou was slain, and hast redeemed us to God
by thy blood of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and
nation;....Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and
riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing."

"And
every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth,
and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying,
Blessing, and honour, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the
throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." (Revelation
5:5-13)

JESUS
SPOILED SATAN'S KINGDOM

The
Bible says, "And you,
being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He
quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting
out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary
to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross, and having
spoiled principalities and powers, He made a shew of them openly,
triumphing over them in it."(Colossians 2:12-15) Oh, Praise God.

We
serve a risen Saviour, He's in the world today. I know that
He is living, whatever men may say...
I see His hand of mercy....I hear His voice of cheer....And just
the time I need Him....He's always near.

He
lives....He lives...Christ Jesus lives today.
He walks with me and talks with me, along life's narrow way.

He lives...He lives....Salvation
to impart....
You ask me how I know He lives....He lives...within my heart.

What
power! What might! What strength, and what great ability
Jesus has. St. Paul brings it out so graphically in his epistles.
Drink in these truth and be set free and filled with all knowledge, joy
and Holy Ghost power.

The
WORD of God declares: "The
eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that ye may know what is
the hope of His calling, and what the riches of glory of His inheritance
in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to
us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which
He wrought in Christ, when he raised Him from the dead, and set Him at
His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality,
and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not
only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And hath put
all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to
the church."(Ephesians 1:18-22)

"Now
unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or
think, according to the power that worketh in us." (Ephesians
3:20)

St.
Paul writes, "Who (God)
hath delivered us from the power of darkness (Satan) and hath translated
us into the Kingdom of His dear Son (Jesus Christ) IN WHOM WE HAVE
REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, even the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians
1:13)

In
referring to Jesus, John the Baptist made the startling statement, "Behold
the Lamb of God which taketh away from the sins of the world." (John
1:29) To this agree the angel's words to Joseph, "Ye
shall call His name Jesus (Salvation) for He shall save (salvage) His
people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21)

"Let
this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the
form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made
himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and
was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He
humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the
cross.

Wherefore
God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name is above every
name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in
heaven and in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue
should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father." (Philippians
2:5-11)

THIS
DAY IS THE SCRIPTURE FULFILLED

The
book of Isaiah is called the "Gospel of the Old Testament".
The 53rd chapter prophecies the death of Messiah Who would bring
forgiveness and healing to His people. Isaiah 7:14 speaks of His
virgin birth; Isaiah 9:6 speaks of His Kingship and the fact that He is
very God; Isaiah 28:11-12 foretells the gift of the Holy Spirit and the
end-time phenomena of glossalalia, or "speaking with other
tongues" as a gift of God to bring stability, rest and peaceful
strength to the Church in times of pressure and tension. Isaiah
61:1-3 prophecies the Gospel Age of His salvation with forgiveness,
healing, deliverance and joy!

"And
he came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up: and, as His custom
was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to
read. And there was delivered unto Him the book of the prophet
Esaias. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where
it was written,

"The
Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because he hath anointed Me to preach the
gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach
deliverance to the captives, the recovering of sight to the blind, to set
at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the
Lord."

"And
He closed the book, and He gave it again to the minister and sat down.
And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on Him.
And He began to say unto them, This day is this Scripture fulfilled in
your ears." (Luke
4:16--21)

Jesus
entered the synagogue in Nazareth and read from Isaiah the Prophet.
He ended the reading by saying, "This day is this scripture
fulfilled in your ears".He declared Himself the Son of God and Jewish Messiah by those
words.

The
year of Jubilee could not begin until first the Great Day of Atonement
had taken place. He would die on the cross like the lambs died on
the alters of Jerusalem because He is the Lamb of God which taketh away
the sins of the world." (John 1:29)

He
would fulfill the Old Testament 'Great Day of Atonement' when the high
priest entered into the Holy of holies with the blood of the sacrificial
animal. Jesus was not only the Sacrifice but also the High Priest
Who carried His own blood into the Holy of holies in Heaven itself.
(Hebrews 9:11-14)

The
scapegoat (Leviticus 16:7-21) is also a type of Jesus carrying away our
sins He is our substitute! Every 50th year Israel celebrated the
'Year of Jubilee' when all the prisoners and slaves were freed and debts
were forgiven. This is a picture of the Gospel Age when everyone is
set free by the blood of Christ and His everlasting Gospel!

My
dear friend, Let me admonish you to receive him into your heart and life
as your Lord, Saviour, Redeemer, Healer, Baptizer and King.

JESUS
CAME TO SEEK & SAVE THE LOST

Jesus
said,"I am come to
seek and save that which was lost."(Luke
19:10) You are included in that number, for"All
have sinned and come short of the glory of God".(Romans
3:23) You say, 'I cannot live a Christian life in my own strength'!

You
are absolutely right. You can't do it in your own power, but He
will change you and give you the power to live for Him.

The
Bible say:"He came
unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received
Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that
believe on His name."(John
1:11-12)

Jesus
promised,"Ye shall
receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you...." (Acts
1:8) Finally Jesus said, "I will never leave thee nor forsake
thee."(Hebrews
13:5)"...and lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the
world."(Matthew
28:20) Receive Him today, as your
Lord and Saviour! Amen

4
SIGNIFICANT SIGNS OF
THE END TIMESWhat
does the Bible say?by: Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.

There
are four significant signs that show us where we stand today in relation
to then end times and our Lord’s soon return, namely:

The
Sick Condition of our PlanetThe
Sick Condition of the WorldThe
Sick Condition of IsraelThe
Sick Condition of the Church

SIGN
#1 - THE SICK CONDITION OF OUR PLANET

Mankind is groaning under the terrible weight of sin and condemnation.
Satan - the enemy of God and man - has bound the human race with shackles
of rebellion, unbelief, fear, torment, lust, greed, hatred and
perversion! It was Adam’s acquiescence to the Evil One’s lying
temptation that brought sickness and death (spiritual and physical) upon
the human race.

The
Bible states: “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for
the manifestation of the sons of God. For
the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of
Him who hath subjected the same in hope. Because
the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of
corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For
we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together
until now."

“And
not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the
Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the
adoption, to wit (that is to say), the redemption of our body.” (Romans
8:19-23)

People
everywhere are waiting for the ‘MANIFESTATION OF THE SONS OF GOD’!
What does that mean? Six billion people are looking for an escape from
the emptiness, fear, torment, sickness and bondage in which they live.

THE
ENTIRE WORLD IS WAITING FOR US - GOD’S CHILDREN TO BE SO FILLED WITH
THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT WE CAN FREE THEM FROM THE TYRANNY AND LIES OF THE
DEVIL AND HIS EMISSARIES.

Don’t
believe for a moment, that the millions lost in sin and bound by evil
spirits of occultism, superstition, false religion, satanic oppression
and sexual perversion are happy in that state! No one enjoys being in
slavery to witchcraft, fear, torment and evil spirits.

Oh,
some are sufficiently deceived to live in a fool’s paradise having
convinced themselves that everything is A-Okay, but the opposite is true.
If everything is all right, why do so many rock musicians die of drug
overdoses and commit suicide? Why do many Hollywood stars die of
alcoholism, suicide and drug overdoses? And why
do wealthy, successful people - who seem to have everything going for
them - take their own lives?

The
Bible says, “But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot
rest, bringing forth mire and dirt. There is no peace saith my God to the
wicked”. (Isaiah 57:20-21)

Our
enemy is not flesh and blood, but Satan himself and all his demons that
tempt, deceive, coerce, inhibit, afflict, torment, steal and kill!
Our
battle is with the devil - not with human beings, however he does use
people to do his bidding! The devil must have his emissaries &
ministers, to do his evil work.

And
what of the Hindu extremists constantly fighting the Muslims in India and
the Seiks battling the Hindus? And the (political) ungodly Roman Catholic
IRA killing the (political) ‘Christian-in-name-only’ Protestants and
vice versa?

And
if the pagan are so happy in their religious life, why are there so many
‘holy jihads’? Two examples: Muslim Iran against Muslim Iraq in a
seven year war that saw one million men die, and at present Islamic
extremists terrorizing and butchering hundreds of their own people in
Algeria?

THEY
DO NOT KNOW GOD and have not been changed by His mighty power. Anyone
who has been converted to Christ, being born again by the Word of God and
the Holy Spirit, would certainly not be waging ‘holy wars’ against
their fellowmen. The only warfare that we are commanded to fight is the
‘Good Fight of Faith’"

HOW
DO WE FIGHT THE DEVIL?

The
Bible says, “Satan, your adversary, goeth about like a roaring lion,
seeking who he may devour, whom resist in the faith...” (1 Peter 5:9)
We resist him by serving Jesus to the best of our ability; by living a
holy and righteous life, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, healing
the sick and casting our devils!

The
Scripture says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but
mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down
imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the
knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the
obedience of Christ;” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

In
our search for more land to conquer, new technologies to improve our
living standards, and the pursuit or more wealth, man has engaged in
wars, enslavement, violence and pollution which has raped our
environment, land, water and air.

Our
Planet is groaning under the terrible weight of the awful harvest of
mankind’s sins of rebellion, greed, hatred, violence and slavery!

In
the beginning, after the fall of our first parents, THE ENTIRE HUMAN RACE
was plunged into sin, fear, sickness & death! God immediately placed
a curse upon the earth - “And unto Adam He said, Because thou hast
harkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which
I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground
for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life”.
(Genesis 3:17)

OUR
PLANET is struggling to stay alive and is groaning under this burden! The
‘second law of thermodynamics’ began after the fall and continues
today with aging, deterioration and decay. Only the return of Jesus
Christ will salvage the earth. Mankind will not be allowed to destroy the
earth, but will be punished for defiling and polluting it, as is
prophesied in the last book of the Bible.

THE
BIBLE SAYS, “And the nations were angry, and Thy wrath is come, and the
time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that Thou shouldest
give reward unto Thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them
that fear Thy name, small and great; And shouldest destroy them which
destroy the earth.” (Revelation 11:18)

God
will have the last word and will judge polluters! If you want a good
example of this, look at the former Soviet Union which polluted the land,
sea and air and after raping the environment, ended up totally bankrupt.

JESUS
CHRIST MUST RETURN IN ORDER TO SAVE US FROM OUR OWN DESTRUCTIONS, SO THAT
HE CAN REIGN ON THIS EARTH FOR 1000 YEARS OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY.

Believers in Jesus Christ, like St. Paul, are waiting for the moment
when we can be free from the limitations of our weak, carnal flesh and to
be glorified (in the next life) to forever be in Heaven with Jesus Christ
and all the redeemed from all ages! WE WILL THEN RECEIVE A RESURRECTED
BODY WITHOUT THE LIMITATIONS WE HAVE TODAY.

The
Bible says, “And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the
firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves,
waiting for the adoption, to wit (that is to say), the redemption of our
body.” (Romans 8:23)

Eternity
will be a joyful time of peace and glory as we live eternally in Heaven
with our Lord Jesus Christ and all the redeemed from every nation, tongue
and people of all ages"

“And
I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of
many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia:
for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and
give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife
hath made herself ready."

“And
to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and
white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith
unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage
supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of
God.” (Revelation 19:6-9)

SIGN
#2 - THE SICK CONDITION OF THE WORLD

The
Bible says, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the
world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the
eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the
will of God abideth for ever.” (1 John 2:15-17)

These
are Satan’s three knockout-punches which he uses to tempt the
“children of men”, namely: 1) the lust of the eyes 2) the lust of
the flesh and 3) the pride of life.

Satan
used these three temptations on Eve with great success. “And when the
woman saw that the tree was good for food (lust of the flesh), and that
it was pleasant to the eyes (lust of th eyes), and a tree to be desired
to make one wise (the pride of life), she took of the fruit thereof, and
did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”
(Gen. 3:6)

King
David fell under this temptation also: He saw a beautiful woman taking a
bath in the privacy of her garden (the lust of the eyes). He desired her
and sent for her, committing adultery (the lust of the flesh). HE FELL
AFTER ONLY TWO STRIKES

JESUS
DEFEATED HIM TOTALLY

It
was a different story when Satan used his time-tested strategy on our
Lord Jesus Christ. He withstood the temptation and defeated the devil
each time he came with a new “trick up his sleeve".

After
Jesus had fasted 40 days, Satan said to Him: “Command that these stones
be made bread.” (the lust of the flesh) Jesus answered, “It is
written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

The
devil tried again: “If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for
it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in
their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot
against a stone. (the pride of life) Jesus answered, “It is written
again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” IN OTHER WORDS, GOD
DOESN’T CLOWN FOR ANYBODY.

Finally,
Satan showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time and
said: “All these things will I give thee (pride of life), if thou wilt
fall down and worship me.” WHAT A DESPICABLE, ARROGANT, EGOTIST SATAN
IS! Jesus rebuffed him immediately with the Word of God saying, “Get
thee hence, Satan (enemy): for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord
thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.” (Matt. 4:1-11)

SATAN
HAD TO LEAVE HIM, THEN

The
Bible affirms that Satan is “the god of this world” and “the spirit
which now worketh in the children of the disobedience”. (John 12:31;
Ephesians 2:2) He is the world’s greatest liar and the father of lies
and a murderer extra-ordinaire (John 8:44))

The
whole world lies in the lap of the wicked one (1 John 5:19) and he
“goeth about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter
5:8). We however, can “resist him in the faith and he will flee from
us”. (1 Peter 5:9; James 4:7)

The
Bible records that Demos was swayed by the bright lights of Thessalonica
and forsook Paul, “having loved this present world” (2 Timothy 4:10).
And St. John commends the young men in the Church for overcoming the
wicked one! (1 John 2:13)

ST.
PAUL WARNED OF THE TOTAL DETERIORATION OF MORALITY, DECENCY AND FAIRNESS
IN THE LAST DAYS. DECADENCE & PERVERSION WILL RULE JUST PRIOR TO OUR
LORD’S RETURN, STATED THE APOSTLE! AS WE READ THE PROPHECY WE FEEL
SADDENED BY THE RESEMBLANCE OF OUR PRESENT AGE TO THE PROPHETIC WORD OF
GOD.

“This
know also, that IN THE LAST DAYS PERILOUS TIMES SHALL COME. For men shall
be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection,
trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those
that are good.

“Traitors,
heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a
form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”
(2 Timothy 3:1-5)

“Now
the Spirit speaketh expressly, that IN THE LATTER TIMES SOME SHALL DEPART
FROM THE FAITH, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of
devils;” (1 Timothy 4:1) “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful
works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to
speak of those things which are done of them in secret.” (Ephesians
5:11-12) “Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which
walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, of whom I have
told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies
of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their
belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) For
our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour,
the Lord Jesus Christ:” (Philippians 3:17-20)

Interjected
among the reports of hypocrisy, backsliding & gross moral evils, St.
Paul interjects the Blessed Hope of the Return of Jesus Christ.

“For
our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour,
the Lord Jesus Christ."

Our
thoughts, actions, prayers, plans, goals and complete agenda here, is
tied to Heaven’s plans, purposes and desires. We belong to His heavenly
kingdom and labour first and foremost for Christ.

Why
is this so important? Only our Blessed Jesus Christ has the mandate,
power & desire to straighten out this wicked world. Therefore we wait
for Him to come.

PERVERSION
VYING FOR RESPECTABILITY

Jesus
prophesied that the time will come, “that whosoever killeth you will
think that he doeth God service”. (John 16:2)

And
the prophet stated, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil;
that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for
sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own
eyes...Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the
righteousness of the righteous from him!” (Is. 5:20-23)

St.
Paul expounded, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are
lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which
believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the
image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but
Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.” (2
Corinthians 4:3-5)

That
this WORLD IS EVIL AND PERVERTED is no secret! The world system that
despises that which is good and glorifies that which is EVIL is a product
of Satanic invention, since he is the “god of this world”.

Again
Paul declares that Jesus Christ “gave Himself for our sins, that He
might deliver us from this present evil world (age), according to the
will of God and our Father”. (Galatians 1:4)

SIGN #3 - THE SICK CONDITION OF ISRAEL

ISRAEL
IS VULNERABLE FACING ATTACKS FROM EVERY DIRECTION

At
this moment in history, Israel is very vulnerable because of the pressure
placed upon them by the nations of the world to give up land for peace.And
the United States - who traditionally has been their friend, is turning
the screws the hardest of all.

Eventually,
Israel will succumb to all this pressure and give away so much land that
they will be unable to defend themselves. Sometime in the future, Israel
will be deceived into accepting the Antichrist as their Messiah and will
suffer terribly because of that. Referring to this, our Lord said to the
Jewish leaders,

“I
am come in My Father's name, and ye receive Me not: if another (the
anti-Christ) shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.” (John
5:43

The
Jewish leaders rejected Jesus Christ Who came to save them in His
Father’s Name. When Antichrist comes in his own name, they will receive
him!

WHAT
A SAD & TRAGIC COMMENTARY ON WHAT IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN!

My
guess is that Iraq will eventually be reduced in power after the United
States and her allies are finished with her. Then undoubtedly, Iran will
pick up the pieces and gobble up Iraq (and possibly Syria) and control
all the oil flow in the Middle East! (Ezekiel 38 & 39)

GOD'S
WORD STATES THAT RUSSIA WILL RISE UP AGAIN IN GREAT POWER AND LEAD THE
MARCH AGAINST ISRAEL

Iran
will then be the dominant power in the area, with the USA and Israel
giving in to their demands! According to God’s Word, Russia will rise
in great power again and lead the march against Israel!

The
prophet Ezekiel declared that Iran (Persia) together with Ethiopia, Libya
& Turkey will march against Israel in the great battle of ‘Gog and
Magog’.

GOD
WILL FIGHT FOR ISRAEL AND DEFEND HER

GOD
WILL FIGHT FOR ISRAEL AND DEFEND HER! A great slaughter will
unfortunately take place however, before God’s chosen people come to
their senses. They will ultimately receive their long awaited Messiah
Jesus Christ, when He returns n the Second Coming of Jesus Christ in
power and great glory at the end of the age!

Jesus
Christ will then rule and reign for 1000 years of peace upon planet
earth, as King of kings and Lord of lords!

SIGN #4 - THE SICK CONDITION OF THE CHURCH

Celebrated
Canadian writer, Peter Newman exposes the weaknesses in our churches and
outlines wherein and how we have failed to communicate the Gospel to our
children, grandchildren and our neighbours.

In
his recent book, ‘The Canadian Revolution’ Peter Newman chronicles
the free-fall of the United Church of Canada’s membership as well as
their influence in society during the past three decades.

Newman
writes, “The United Church, formed in 1925 through a union of
Methodists, Presbyterians and Congregationalists, suffered the steepest
decline. Three million Canadians declared their United Church affiliation
to the latest census takers but less than 380,000 bothered going to
church. Although the most liberal of the mainstream congregations,
allowing for the ordination of gay priests and promoting the social
gospel, the United Church found itself paradoxically unable to attract
the young.”

A
footnote says, “An increasingly typical event was the closing, during
the fall of 1994, of Chalmers United Church in downtown Vancouver. There
wasn’t a single member left on its congregational rolls who was less
than 80 years old.”

For
years, University of Lethbridge sociologist Reginald Bibby has tracked
the religious life of Canadians. In his book ‘Unknown Gods’ , Bibby
states: “Tragically, religious groups are failing in what appear to be
spiritually prosperous times. The churches are inept religious companies
that cannot get the faith out of the ware house …The news is that
interest and intrigue persist, in spite of the problems of organized
religion. The result may be a very sizable, ongoing spiritual vacuum.”

The
Anglican Church, according to the census has 2.2 million members with
784,000 active adherents. Addressing the church synod in 1994, Archbishop
Peter O’Driscoll warned: “In the next ten to fifteen years the
largest age group in the present Anglican Church of Canada will be dead.
At the end of two generations, there won’t be enough people to say
there’s still an Anglican Church alive in this country.”

HOW
SAD AND TRAGIC!

While
the Anglican Church lost 250,000 members from 1981 to 1991, and the
United Church lost 665,000 members during that same period - that’s 10
% and 20 % respectively - the Pentecostal Church grew by 100,000
adherents and the Christian & Missionary Alliance doubled in size!

The
November,1965 issue of Canada’s Revival Magazine, ‘Cry of His
Coming’ carried the following prophetic headline: 1965 UNITED CHURCH
NEW CURRICULUM SETS STAGE FOR MORE APOSTACY! MODERATOR REV. HOWSE DENIES
PHYSICAL RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST !

In
that article, this author wrote under the by-line, ‘THE GREAT FALLING
AWAY’ - St. Paul warns: “Let no man deceive you by any means, for
that day shall not come except there come a falling away first, and that
man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.” (2 Thess. 2:3)

The
‘Great Falling Away’ is Here Now- with entire denominations of
Christian Churches turning their backs on the Holy Scriptures, declaring
them fallible and contradictory. They despise the great truths of the
Bible, and exchange them for their own humanistic, man-made philosophies!

As
strange as this may seem, these reprobate preachers actually play-out the
exact role of ‘backsliding Israel’ in Old Testament times.

“For
My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me the fountain of
living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold
no water.” (Jeremiah 2:13)

HERE
IS A LIST OF THEIR BACKSLIDINGS!

They have violated the sanctity of the Holy Bible, discarding the eternal
truths of God’s Word. Man-made philosophies, secular humanism and
blatantly spurious doctrines have filled the void!

They rely
almost totally on man’s wisdom and carnal knowledge, having rejected
the wisdom that comes solely from the Holy Scriptures. This leaves them
incapable of making sound spiritual decisions!

They have
rejected the counsel of the Holy Spirit- divine paraclete- and draw their
inspiration from the teachings of others similarly deceived. Serious
decision making regarding spiritual matters and doctrine is therefore
prejudiced, flawed and compromised!

Their
emphasis is on good works, rather than the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for
our sins. The ‘social gospel’ they preach is devoid of the grace of
God and faith in the blood of Jesus Christ. Their ‘good works’
message offers only secular and political rhetoric to undo social
injustices, without a sound spiritual foundation.

They have
desecrated the Holy Scriptures by substituting their own verbiage instead
of the correct translation of the original Hebrew and Greek, in reference
to God Himself. These literary counterfeiters have unilaterally -without
any jurisdiction- decided to change the gender of Almighty God from
masculine (Father) to Mother. Instead of addressing God as He, they
refer to Him as She and the Lord Jesus is not the Son of God, but the
Child of God!

The
Word of God conclusively states: “This know also, that in the last days
perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves,
covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents,
unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false
accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn
away.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

“Now
the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart
from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot
iron; Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them:
for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear
thee.” (1 Timothy 4:1-2, 16)

AN
URGENT WARNING ISSUED TO THOSE TAMPERING WITH GOD’S WORD

“Who
is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist,
that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same
hath not the Father: but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father
also.

“Beloved,
believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God:
because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

“Hereby
know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ
is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that
Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit
of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now
already is it in the world.

“Whosoever
believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God... Who is he that
overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

“If
we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is
the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son. He that believeth
on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God
hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave
of His Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal
life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he
that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” (1 John 2:22-23; 4:1-3;
5:1, 4-5, 9-12)

WHAT
DOES THIS MEAN? SIMPLY THIS:

Anyone
who denies that Jesus Christ is God is a false teacher and an enemy of
God.

Every
spirit that confesses that ‘Jesus Christ is come in the flesh’ is of
God. Those who do not are of Satan and the Antichrist spirit!

WHAT
DOES THIS MEAN: “Jesus Christ is come in the flesh”?

There
are millions of babies born daily across the world. They are all born of
flesh & blood. They have all “come in the flesh”. That is no
miracle, but when God is incarnated in human flesh, that is a miracle. It
simply means that Jesus Christ was God in human flesh! God the Son came
down from Heaven, through the very miraculous and complex process of the
virgin birth!

God
the Holy Spirit placed within the virgin Mary’s womb a specially
created body for the Lord Jesus. He was begotten by the Holy Spirit and
born of a virgin woman without the aid of a human father. Jesus Christ -
true God & true man, in order to suffer and die for our sins and rise
again for our justification. ( )

“The
new United Church curriculum - now taught to thousands of children -
denies the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, leaving the inference that
Joseph or some other man was Jesus’ father. This would indicate that
His mother Mary was sinful and promiscuous, instead of a chaste virgin
and that Jesus Christ was not divine!

Have
you heard of such SACRILEGE? And this - not from an atheistic journal -
but from the official organ and pulpits of Canada’s largest Protestant
denomination!

That
same ‘curriculum’ calls the first eleven chapters of Genesis - which
deal with God’s marvelous creation, Noah and the flood - a fable or
myth! It denies the miracles in the Bible, rejects the physical
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and ridicules His ascension
and second coming!

Read
the blasphemous statements made by Rev. Ben Smilie- United Church
chaplain at the University of Saskatchewan, as chronicled by Regina
Leader Post’s Tom Jarvis in an article titled, ‘A MASSIVE
IRRELEVANCY’:

“The
Toronto Telegram printed it in full with the somewhat shocking passage in
large type which speaks of fundamentalist belief in “clay-made man, a
floating zoo, an amphibious-footed Jesus, a son of God who was a home
brew artist, and an ascension that looks like a Cape Kennedy
blast-off”.

Have
you heard of anything more blasphemous and anti-Christian, coming from
the pen of an ordained Protestant clergyman!

We’ll
let the moderator of the United Church speak for himself. The following
was carried by the Saskatoon Star Phoenix, June 5, 1965. ‘HOWSE SAYS
LITERAL BELIEVER IN BIBLE LACKS UNDERSTANDING’.

“The
moderator of the United Church of Canada says Christians who believe
literally in all of the ‘metaphors and imageries’ of the Bible
exhibit ‘lack of understanding’.

“The
Rt. Rev. Ernest Howse of Toronto, in an interview Thursday said that one
of the most significant religious trends today is the movement away from
‘medieval imagery and hypocrisy’.

“Dr.
Howse, who had been in Banff for a meeting of the United Church’s
Alberta Conference, said people should not take literally such events as
Christ’s physical resurrection and the virginity of Mary. The moderator
said the United Church’s new curriculum which allows for liberal
interpretation of the Bible, is ‘really nothing new at all’.

“There
is nothing in the curriculum which was not accepted when I was in College
thirty years ago. If people are shocked by it, then it is evident our
ministers have not been adequately teaching their congregations”.

NEW
MODERATOR: SAME OLD APOSTASY IN UNITED CHURCH!

Bill
Phipps probably learned ‘APOSTACY’ from professors, who were
themselves corrupted while in College! The new moderator of the United
Church is Rev. Bill Phipps - a little known Calgary pastor - who is
making big waves with his outspoken, irreverent and blasphemous remarks.
It appears that he has excelled in unlearning the basic, fundamental
doctrines of Christianity, in the tradition of the Rev. Howse and the
liberal theological College to which he referred!

‘AN
ACTIVIST MODERATOR IS ROCKING THE UNITED CHURCH’
-Edmonton Journal

In
a major news story carried across Canada in the Southam Press, Nov.1,
1997, Rev. Phipps made these statements: “I don’t believe Jesus is
the only way to God. I don’t believe he rose from the dead as a
scientific fact. I don’t know whether those thing happened. It’s an
irrelevant question.”

In
a follow-up article, the ‘Ottawa Citizen’ wrote: ‘CHURCH MODERATOR
A HERETIC, PROFESSOR SAYS’ - “The moderator of the United Church of
Canada is a heretic, says a professor of modern Christian history.

“A
heretic is defined as someone who chooses a doctrinal path other than
that of the church to which he belongs”, says John Stackhouse, of the
University of Manitoba.

“By
that standard, Rev. Bill Phipps “is a heretic according to the United
Church of Canada’s own standard of doctrine. He’s also a heretic in
generic Christian terms, because he denies the creeds that all Christians
have subscribed to, whether they’re Catholic, Protestant or Eastern
Orthodox.”

“In
interviews with media organizations, Phipps denied the divinity of
Christ, denied the reality of the resurrection as a historical fact, and
said he was unclear ‘The historic Church says there are such realities,
which are crucially important to human life,’ said Stackhouse, a former
president of the Canadian Evangelical Theological Association.”

THE
WHOLESALE BACKSLIDING OF CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS DURING THESE PAST THIRTY
YEARS, AND ESPECIALLY THE LAST DECADE, SIGNALS THE SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS
IN THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH AT THIS VERY CRUCIAL MOMENT IN HISTORY - THE TURN
OF THE CENTURY AND THE MILLENNIUM!

A
very sad commentary on the Church is found in Christ’s message to the
Church where He states:

“And
unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith
the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of
God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou
wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor
hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich,
and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that
thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I
counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be
rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame
of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that
thou mayest see.” (Rev. 3:14-18)

Again
He said, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by
their fruits...

“...Wherefore
by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me,
Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the
will of My Father which is in heaven...And then will I profess unto them,
I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matt.
7:15-23)

Jesus
asked a very pertinent question: “...Nevertheless. When the son of man
cometh will He find faith on the earth?” The answer is “not very
much”! That is why He stated, “Strive to enter in at the straight
gate, for many, I say unto you will seek to enter and shall not be
able”. (Luke 13:24)

“Enter
ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way,
that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto
life, and few there be that find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

HOW
MUST WE PREPARE FOR THE END TIMES AND TO BE SURE WE ARE
READY FOR JESUS
CHRIST'S SOON RETURN IN THE SECOND COMING?

St.
Peter warned, “Make your calling and election sure...” (2 Peter 1:10)
It behooves each one to do a reality check to be absolutely certain that
you know Jesus Christ personally as your Lord & Saviour.

Remember
that Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose again from the dead for our
justification. Only He has the power to save you because He is the
Redeemer of the world.

Jesus
said, “I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the
Father, but by Me”. (John 14:6) “I am the door: by Me if any man
enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am
come that they might have life, and that they might have it more
abundantly.” (John 10:9-10)

The
Bible says, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and
men, the man Christ Jesus;” (1 Tim. 2:5) “Neither is there salvation
in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men,
whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

St.
Paul declared, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ
Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal
with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form
of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in
fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him,
and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and
things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:5-11)

Jesus
Christ invites us to receive Him as personal Saviour and Lord with the
promise: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28) And, “All that the Father giveth
me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast
out.” (John 6:37)

We
are warned: “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that
bread, and drink of that cup.” (1 Corinthians 11:28) Amen.

Bible
Scriptures verses on end times,
last days, tribulation, Bible Prophecy(King
James Version)

Deuteronomy
4:30-35- (kjv) - When thou art in tribulation, and all these
things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn
to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;

(For
the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee,
since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from
the one side of heaven as this great thing is, or hath been heard
like it:

Did
every people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of
the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?

Or
hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of
another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by
war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by
great terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you
in Egypt before your eyes? Unto thee it was shewed, that
thou mightest know that the Lord he is God: there is none else
beside him."

Judges
10:14
- (kjv) - Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them
deliver you in the time of your tribulation.

Matthew
13:21
- (kjv) - Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while:
for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word,
by and by he is offended.

John
16:33
- (kjv) - "These things, I have spoken unto you that in me ye
might have peace. "In the world ye shall have
tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the
world."

Romans
5:3-4
- (kjv) - And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also; know
that tribulation worketh patience, And patience, experience; and
experience, hope, And hope maketh not ashamed: because the love of
God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given
unto us.

Ephesians
3:13
- (kjv) - Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations
for you, which is your glory.

2
Corinthians 1:4
- (kjv) - Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be
able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort
wherewith we ourselves are comforted by God.

2
Corinthians 7:4
- (kjv) - Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my
glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful
in all our tribulation.

Revelation
7:14
- (kjv) - And I say unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to
me, These are they which came out of the great tribulation, and
have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the
Lamb.

1
John 5:13
- (kjv) - These
things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son
of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye
may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Matthew
7:13
- (kjv) - Enter
ye iin at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the
way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in
thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way,
that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Bible
Scriptures verses on end times
Bible prophecy, signs of end times, last days prophecy(King
James Version)

Hebrews
9:27 - (kjv)
- And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the
judgment:

John
5:24
- (kjv) - Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word,
and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and
shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto
life.

John
6:50
- (kjv) - This
is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat
thereof, and not die.

Matthew
6:13 - (kjv) - And
lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.
Amen.

Isaiah
57:15 - (kjv)
- For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity,
whose name [is] Holy; I dwell in the high and holy [place], with
him also [that is] of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the
spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite
ones.

2
Thessalonians 1:9
- (kjv) - Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from
the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

Philippians
1:23
- (kjv) - For
I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be
with Christ; which is far better:

Romans
6:23 - (kjv) - For
the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Galatians
6:8 - (kjv)
- For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap
corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit
reap life everlasting.

Jeremiah
10:10
- (kjv) - But the LORD [is] the true God, he [is] the living God,
and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and
the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.

Psalms
90:2
- (kjv) - Before
the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the
earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou
[art] God.

Psalms
72:17 - (kjv) - His
name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as
the sun: and [men] shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call
him blessed.

Psalms
41:13 - (kjv) - Blessed
[be] the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting.
Amen, and Amen.

Matthew
3:12 - Whose
fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and
gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff
with unquenchable fire.

Matthew
5:3 - Blessed
are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew
5:8 - Blessed
are the pure in heart for they shall see God.

Matthew
5:12 - Rejoice,
and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so
persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Matthew
5:20 - For
I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the
righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case
enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew
6:20 -But
lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor
rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor
steal.

Matthew
8:11 - And
I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and
shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom
of heaven.

Matthew
13:30 - Let
both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I
will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and
bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my
barn.

Matthew
13:43 -
Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of
their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Matthew
13:49 -
So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come
forth, and sever the wicked from among the just.

Matthew
18:10 -
Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones: for I say
unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of
my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew
19:21 -
Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that
thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in
heaven: and come and follow me.

Matthew
22:30 - For
in the resurrection they neither marry; nor are given in marriage,
but are as the angels of God in heaven.

Matthew
25:34 -
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye
blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from
the foundation of the world:

Matthew
25:46 - And
these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous
into life eternal.

Luke
10:20 -
Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject
unto you, but rather rejoice, because your names are written in
heaven.

Luke
12:8-
Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him
shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God.

Luke
12:32 -
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to
give you the kingdom.

Luke
12:33 -
Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which
wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no
thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

Luke
15:6 - And
when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and
neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my
sheep which was lost.

Luke
15:7 - I
say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner
that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which
need no repentance.

Luke
15:10 -
Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the
angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

Luke
15:32 - It
was meet that we should make merry, and be glad for this thy
brother was dead, and is alive again, and was lost, and is found.

Luke
16:22 - And
it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the
angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was
buried;

Luke
20:34 - And
Jesus answering said unto them, The child of this world marry, and
are given in marriage:

Luke
20:35 - But
they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the
resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in
marriage:

Luke
20:36 -
Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels;
and are the children of God, being the children of the
resurrection.

Luke
22:29 - And
I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;

Luke
22:30 -
That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on
thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Luke
23:43 - And
Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be
with me in paradise.

John
5:28 -
Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that
are in the graves shall hear his voice,

John
5:28-
And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the
resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the
resurrection of damnation.

John
10:28 - And
I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

John
12:26 - If
any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall
also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

John
14:2 - In
my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would
have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

John
14:3 - And
if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and
receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

John
17:22 - And
the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be
one, even as we are one.

John
17:24 -
Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me
where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given
me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

Acts
7:55 - But
he, being full of the Holy Ghost, look up steadfastly into heaven,
and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of
God,

Acts
7:56 - And
said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man
standing on the right hand of God.

Romans
5:17 - For
if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which
receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall
reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.

2
Corinthians 5:1
- For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were
dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with
hands, eternal in the heavens.

2
Corinthians 12:2 -
I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the
body, I cannot tell, or whether out of the body, I cannot tell:
God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.

2
Corinthians 2:3
- And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body,
I cannot tell: God knoweth;)

2
Corinthians 2:4 -
How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable
words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

Ephesians
1:18 - The
eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know
what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory
of his inheritance in the saints,

Colossians
1:5 - For
the hope which is laid up for you in heaven; whereof ye heard
before in the word of the truth of the gospel;

Colossians
1:6 - Which
is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth
fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and
knew the grace of God in truth.

Colossians
1:12 -
Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be
partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.

Colossians
3:4 - When
Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear
with him in glory.

1
Thessalonians 2:12
- That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his
kingdom and glory.

1
Thessalonians 4:17
- Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together
with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall
we ever be with the Lord.

11
Thessalonians 1:7
- And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the
Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels.

11
Thessalonians 2:14 -
Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining the glory
of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews
10:34 - For
ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the
spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in
heaven a better and an enduring substance.

Hebrews
11:10 - For
he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and
maker is God.

Hebrews
11:16 - But
now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly : wherefore
God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared
for them a city.

Hebrews
12:22 - 24 - But
ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God,
the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels.To
the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are
written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits
of just men made perfect, And
to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of
sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

Hebrews
12:28 -
Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us
have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably: with reverence
and godly fear.

Hebrews
13:14 - For
here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.

1
Peter 1:4 -
To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled; and that fadeth
not away, reserved in heaven for you,

2
Peter 1:11
- For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into
the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

2
Peter 3:13
- Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens
and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Revelation
2:7 - He
that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of
life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Revelation
3:21 - To
him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even
as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

Revelation
4:4 - And
round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the
seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white
raiment, and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

Revelation
5:9 - And
they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book,
and to open the seals thereof for thou wast slain, and hast
redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue,
and people, and nation.

Revelation
7:9 - After
this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could
number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues,
stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white
robes, and palms in their hands.

Revelation
7:13-17 - And
one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which
are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And
I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These
are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed
their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and
night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell
among them. They
shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the
sun light on them, nor any heat. For
the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and
shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall
wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Revelation
14:1-3 -
And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with
him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name
written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and
as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers
harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before
the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song
but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed
from the earth.

Revelation
15:2 - And
I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that
had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and
over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea
of glass, having the harps of God.

Revelation
21:1-5 -
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven
and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
And
I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out
of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And
I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle
of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be
his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
And
God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be
no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be
any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And
he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.
And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

Revelation
21:9 - And
there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the
seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me,
saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.

Revelation
21:10 - And
he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and
shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of
heaven from God.

Revelation
21:11 -
Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most
precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

Revelation
21:18 - And
the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was
pure gold, like unto clear glass.

Revelation
21:19 - And
the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all
manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper,
the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcadony: the fourth, an
emerald:

Revelation
21:21 - And
the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one
pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were
transparent glass.

Revelation
21:22 - And
I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb
are the temple of it.

Revelation
21:23 - And
the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in
it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light
thereof.

Revelation
21:24 - And
the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it:
and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into
it.

Revelation
21:35 - And
the gates of it shall nto be shut at all by day: for there shall
be no night there.

Revelation
21:27 - And
there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth,
neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they
which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Revelation
22:1 - And
he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal,
proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

Revelation
21:2 - In
the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river,
was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manners of fruit,
and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree
where for the healing of the nations.

Revelation
21:3 - And
there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the
Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

Revelation
21:4 - And
they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads.

Revelation
21:5 - And
thee shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither
light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they
shall reign for ever and ever.

OLD
TESTAMENT (King James Version)

11
Kings 2:11
- And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that,
behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and
parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into
heaven.

Job
3:17 -
There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at
rest.

Psalms
16:11 -
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of
joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Psalms
17:15 - As
for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be
satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

Psalms
23:6 -
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Psalms
24:3 - Who
shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his
holy place.